Tourist sternwheelers of Oregon

[4] That proposal was eventually dropped, because of the high cost of work required to satisfy applicable U.S. Coast Guard regulations.

Constructed in Astoria, Oregon, by John Hendrickson, she was launched on April 24, 1983, and was originally named Lurdine.

Lurdine was moved to Portland, renamed Rose, and began operating Portland-based Columbia River cruises in June or July 1985.

[15] After some delay in obtaining certification from the U.S. Coast Guard, Columbia Gorge took her maiden passenger voyage on October 29, 1983.

Columbia Gorge followed the same seasonal pattern of operating out of Cascade Locks from mid-June through September and spending the remainder of each year in Portland, cruising on the Willamette, where she was joined by the Rose.

[18] On the morning of January 13, 2024, high winds caused the Columbia Gorge to break free of her moorings in Cascade Locks, resulting in damage to surrounding structures and the vessel herself.

[19] Crews regained control of the vessel and piloted her downriver in winds up to 65 mph to the Bonneville Dam for safe mooring and assessment.

[21] Although based in Salem, she makes a trip to Portland once every five years for a required periodic hull inspection.

[22] She is a scaled-down replica of former Mississippi River and Yukon riverboats, with twin paddle wheels and a capacity of 90 passengers.

In 2013, the Empress of the North was acquired by the American Queen Steamboat Company, which announced plans to rename her the American Empress and make Portland her home port starting in 2014, with cruises planned again for the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

[29] The ship was rechristened American Empress in April 2014 and placed back into service cruising the Columbia and Snake, between Astoria, Oregon, and Clarkston, Washington.