[2] When the water was high on the Cowlitz, Joseph Kellogg could travel as far as Toledo, Washington, the conventional head of navigation on the river.

[2] In the late fall of 1887 business on the Cowlitz was so good that Toledo could not handle it all, so the company decided to build a new steamer, which was to become the Northwest.

[2] Northwest was 135 ft (41.15 m) long exclusive of the extension of the deck over the stern called the "fantail" on which the stern-wheel was mounted.

[1][3] The beam was 28 ft (8.53 m) exclusive of the long protective timbers along the upper sides of the hull called guards.

[7] Northwest continued to operate on the Portland-Salem run at least through early April 1891, when plans were being made to transfer the steamer to a route on the Columbia.

[11] Northwest ran on the following schedule: Leave Kelso Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:00 a.m.; Leave Portland Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 6:00 a.m.[11] Northwest made connections with the Northern Pacific Railway line at Kelso, Castle Rock and Olequa for traffic bound southbound to Portland or northbound toward Puget Sound.

[14] In the spring of 1897 a mining boom caused business for the Northwest so much that the steamer could return to its schedule of three trips per week.

[5] To address this issue, the Kellogg Transportation Company built the small very light draft sternwheeler Chester.

[5] When Northwest could not run on the Cowlitz due to low water, passengers and cargo would be transferred to Chester.

[16] The Morning Oregonian recommended taking either the Northwest or the Northern Pacific railroad to Castle Rock or Winlock, Washington, then proceeding overland by stage coach to Toledo, and from there up various roads and trails to the mining district.

[20] At about 1:30 a.m. on August 31, 1906, John L. Sinclair (1885-1906), a deckhand on Northwest, fell off the boat and into the Cowlitz river, where he drowned.

[23] Early in the morning of February 7, 1907, Jack Neil, cook on Northwest, lost his footing while trying to board.

[26] On Friday, November 2, 1906, Northwest, running back on the Cowlitz river to Portland, struck a rock about three miles upriver from Kalama.

[27] The next day, the sternwheeler Georgie Burton was dispatched to the scene, carrying divers, wrecking equipment, and towing two barges.

[27] The Kellogg Transportation Company chartered the sternwheeler Altona to take the place of Northwest until the sunken boat could be returned to service.

[27] By November 8, 1906, Northwest had been raised and was being taken to Portland by the sternwheeler Wauna, supported by two wrecking barges, to be repaired.

[29] In mid-November 1906 the line of the Northern Pacific Railway was washed out, and the railroad had to charter steamboats to transfer passengers from Castle Rock around the washouts.

[1] Another source, states that Northwest was sold to the Grand Trunk Railway to be transferred to the Skeena River.

[31] Originally the plan was to send Northwest north alone under its own power, but this was judged too risky, although several similar runs had been made by river boats unassisted or unattended by tugs.

[32] While waiting, work was done to strengthen Northwest for the trip, including boarding up the bow, and stiffening the hull.

[34] After arriving in Vancouver, Northwest was "thoroughly overhauled and made to comply with the Canadian regulations governing steamships.

[36]On May 18, 1907, under the command of Captain Bonser, Northwest left Vancouver bound for Port Essington, BC, at the mouth of the Skeena River.

[36] On Friday, June 14, 1906 Northwest was able to reach Hazelton, BC on the Skeena River with a full load of cargo and all the passengers the steamer could carry.

[37] Northwest was scheduled to depart downriver on Saturday, June 15, to be able to make connections with coast steamers at Port Essington, BC.