From 1920 to 1935, this vessel was owned by the Western Transportation Company or one of its subsidiaries, and was employed primarily in service to paper mills.

[3] Nespelem was one of the last two steamboats to be constructed in the Wenatchee stretch of the Columbia River[4] The other steamer was the Bridgeport, (438 tons, 121.5 feet) built at Pateros, Washington.

[5] In May 1917 Miller Navigation Co. announced that it had its first steamer under construction, at Kelso, Washington a considerable distance away from its intended operations on the upper Columbia River.

[5] The upper end of the anticipated route would be at Grand Rapids, which was about five mlles downstream from Kettle Falls, Washington.

[5] Other backers of the Miller Navigation Company were the Porter brothers, who were well-known railroad contractors who owned land in the area of Hunter, Washington.

[6] When built as Nespelem, the vessel was 130.5 ft (39.8 m) measured over the hull, and exclusive of the fantail, which was the overhanging extension of the main deck over the stern, on which the sternwheel was mounted.

[2] The machinery for Nespelem was built by the Willamette Iron and Steel Works and had been originally installed in the sternwheeler Ione.

[7] On launch day, Mrs. A.C. Gibson, sister-in-law of the builder, Charles S. Miller, broke a bottle of champagne over the bow as spectators cheered.

[7] Following construction, which had been directed by veteran shipbuilder Joseph Paquet, of Portland, Oregon, Nespelem was worked on runs between points on the Columbia River north of Wenatchee.

[3][9] Nespelem was reported to have made four trips to Hunter’s Landing, at the mouth of the Spokane River, with the route proving unprofitable.

[1] The Porter brothers had hoped to use Nespelem for hauling apples and other produce, but after a few trips proved that there was not enough business to support the expenses of the steamer.

[12] Work was to be begun immediately to refit Nespelem for general freight and passenger service for the run between Portland and The Dalles.

From the 14th of October 1918 through the 31st of that same money, the Miller Navigation Company solicited bids for the sale of the steamer, which lay at the Taylor Street dock in Portland.

Charles Nelson, who had baen master of the Tahoma for several years, and was then the manager of the Peoples line, together with John D. Porter, and, of Spokane, F.W.

[9] According to Captain Nelson several thousand dollars would soon be spent to complete the cabins and make Nespelem into a freight and passenger vessel.

[17] In July 1919 Nespelem began a trip up the Willamette River from Portland to Albany, Oregon that took 52 days to complete.

[8] During the trip, Nespelem and the towed barges often had to wait for days while the government dredge Mathloma dug out a channel deep enough to proceed.

[8] On November 14, 1919, two members of the crew of Nespelem, Robert Stevenson and Ed Collins, were arrested by federal authorities and held for investigation.

[18] Stevenson and Collins were said to have disobeyed orders of the master of Nespelem, and were suspected of being members of the Industrial Workers of the World, generally referred to at the time by its initials, I.W.W.

In February 1920, Western Transportation Co. took Nespelem out of service at their Washington street dock in Portland, on the Willamette River for a general overhaul and for conversion to an oil-burner.

[1] As the overhaul neared completion, the officers of the Crown Willamette Paper Company decided to rename Nespelem as Robert Young, to honor Capt.

[1] On the night of November 13, 1921, Robert Young was damaged by a collision with a naval reserve patrol vessel, Eagle Boat No.

[20] Robert Young was moored at the dock at the foot of Washington Street in Portland, Oregon, when Eagle Boat No.

[21] The case eventually went to trial before a jury on March 12, 1929, before Judge Campbell in the Multnomah County Circuit Court.

[21] On October 23, 1928, at Dobelbower Crossing (on the Columbia River between Longview and Kalama, Washington), there was a collision between the Robert Young and the ocean-going steamer Ernest H.

[24] Other steamers of the Western Transportation Company were also trapped in the ice at the same time, at different locations on the Willamette and Columbia rivers.

[28] Some temporary repairs were made in Portland, and Robert Young was back in service by 4:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, February 1, 1930.

[29] In November 1935, Robert Young struck a submerged log and sank in the Willamette River near Oswego.

[30] Western Transportation Company, owner of the Robert Young, announced that they intended to raise the vessel on the night of November 8, 1935 and return it to Portland for repairs.