The definitive sternwheeler roster doesn't yet exist - this list has been developed over the past 4 years or so from a wide variety of sources, including corporate records, advertisements, memoirs, newspaper articles, and the compilations of Bill MacBride, Edward Affleck and John Mills. All boats are sternwheelers unless otherwise noted. The names which are followed by (?) are suspect, for a wide variety of reasons - vague or inconsistent references, lack of an indication as to whether they were sternwheelers or propeller-driven, advertisements with no proof that the boats ever actually sailed (a fairly common occurrence), renamed and/or rebuilt boats, and so on. There are also many boats for which we may never find "proof" of their existence - these are generally small home-made affairs which made only one trip to one of the mining fields, where their machinery would be removed and put to work extracting gold or operating a sawmill.

    Note that this roster includes those boats which worked on the Stikine River route to the Cassiar and Klondike gold fields, and those which were reported to be enroute to Alaska.

    Lists of some of the men who worked on the boats, and passenger lists from a few sailings on the Upper Yukon can be found here. Another larger list of boat captains can be found here.

    Comments, corrections or questions regarding this listing are always welcome - just drop me a line.

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When included, dates indicate the period of Yukon/Alaska service only
Some boats are listed twice due to name changes - the second listing is not numbered.

1. A. B. Graham (1898 - may not have reached Alaska)
2. Agnes E. Boyd (1898)
3. A. J. Goddard (1897-1901) - see Clara Goddard obituary
4. Aksala (1927-1952) (formerly Alaska)
5. Alameda (1898)
   Alaska (1913-1927) (renamed Aksala)
6. Alaskan (1898-1899)
7. Alaska Union (1898)
8. Alert (1898-1900)
9. Alfred J. Beach (1898, lost at sea en route to Alaska)
10. Alice (1895-1914)
11. Alice II (1909-1953)
12. All Nations (1908) (?)
13. Alpha (1930s) (propeller-driven steamer)
14. Altona (1907)
15. Alviso (1898) (?)
16. Anawanda (1898)
17. Anchorage Hospital Boat (1943-1957) (became the Riviera Boatel in Fairbanks)
18. Anglian (1897-1904)
19. Anna (1922)
20. Anna E. Fay (1898-1905) (1905, renamed A.W.Sterrett)
21. Anna Maria (1991-1995)
22. Aquilla (1898-1901)
23. Arctic (1889-1897)
24. Arctic Bird (1898-1905)
25. Arctic Boy (1898-1901)
    Arctic Queen (see Emma Nott)
26. Argo (1898, lost at sea en route to Alaska)
27. Argo (1898-1900)
28. Argonaut (1898-1912)
29. Arnold (1898-1905)
30. Athol (1898)
31. Atlintoo (1917-1950s)
32. Aurora (1898)
33. Aurora (1911)
34. Aurora No.2 (?)
35. Aurora (1930s)
36. Aurum (1904-1917)
37. Australian (1899-1915)
38. Autogo (Whitehorse, 1908)
39. Bailey (1899-1931)
40. Barry K. (1923-1948) (formerly Lewiston)
41. Beaver (1876-1878)
42. Beaver (1895) (?)
43. Beaver (1898) (trip not completed - returned to Victoria)
44. Bella (1896-1914)
45. Bellingham (1897-1898)
46. Ben Hur (1906)
47. Birdswell (1928)
48. Blair Athol (Atlin Lake, 1900)
49. Bonanza King (1898-1928) (formerly Gov. Pingree)
50. Brainstorm (Dawson, 1930s-1980s)
51. Brant (1929-1943)
52. Breadwinner (1899)
53. Burpee (1898-1900)
54. Caledonia (1891-1898)
55. Caledonia (No.2) (1898-1908) (renamed Northwestern)
56. Canadian (1898-1930)
57. Canyon Boat (Pelly River, 1942)
58. Caprice (Stewart River, 1924)
59. Captain Jas. Fornace (US Army Alaska, 1909)
60. Caribou (?)
61. Carrier (NNCo mail launch, 1910)
62. Casca (1898-1911)
63. Casca No.2 (1911-1936)
64. Casca No.3 (1937-1952)
65. Cassiar (Stikine River 1879)
66. Caswell (Copper River ca.1909)
67. Chakawana II (RCMP launch, 1920s)
68. Chance (Dawson 1907)
69. Chas. H. Hamilton (1897-1914)
70. Charles Power (1898, existence doubtful)
71. C. H. Bradley (1898-1914)
72. Chetco (1897-1898)
73. Christine (launch, Thirty Mile River 1911)
74. City of Boston (1898) (?)
75. City of Bradford (1898)
76. City of Chicago (1898) (?)
77. City of Dawson (1898) (?)
78. City of Paris (1898-1901)
79. City of Sault Ste. Marie (1898-1899)
80. Clan MacDonald (1898) (?)
81. Clara
82. Clara Monarch (1901-1906)
83. Clifford Sifton(1898-1904)
84. Clio (1898)
85. Col. McNaught (1898)
86. Columbian (1897-1906)
87. Constantine (1898, lost at sea en route to Alaska)
88. Cora (ca. 1892-1894)
89. Courser (1898)
90. D. A. Grant (1904) (?)
91. Daisy Bell (1898-1899)
92. Dalton (1898, built for Alaskan service, never went)
93. D. Armstrong (1898)
94. Dawson (1901-1926)
95. Dawson City (renamed Gussie Brown)
96. Delta (1905-1916)
97. Diogenes (1904)
98. Distributor (1908)
99. Dora (1898) (renamed Olive May)
100. Dorothy (1898) (?)
101. Dorothy (1898)
102. D.R.Campbell (1898-1914)
103. Duchesnay (1898-1899) (renamed Gen. Jeff. C. Davis)
104. Dusty Diamond (1898-1905)
105. Eldorado (formerly Philip B. Low)
106. Ella (1905-1907)
107. Ellwood (1898-1901)
108. El Sueno (1897-1899)
109. Emil (?-1902) (?)
110. Emily M. (ca. 1898-1900)
111. Emma (1898-1899) (?)
112. Emma (1898)
113. Emma Nott (1898-ca. 1902)
114. Emma Nott (1903-1908)
115. Englewood (1898)
116. Eugene (1897)
117. Eva Fay (1899) (?)
118. Evelyn (1908-1913) (renamed Norcom)
119. Explorer (1892-1906)
120. Fannie (1900) (?)
121. F.H. Kilbourne (1898-1901)
122. F.K.Gustin (1898-1914)
123. Flora (1898-1902)
124. Florence (1898-1909)
125. Florence Henry (?-1918)
126. Florence S. (1898-1913)
127. Flying (?-1917)
128. Flying Dutchman (1862)
129. Fortune Hunter (aka Helen Bruce) (1898-1905)
130. Frontiersman (1907-1911)
131. Fulton (1898)
132. Gamecock (1898, wrecked at sea en route to Alaska)
133. Gem (1874)
     Gen. Jeff C. Davis (1899-1933) (formerly Duchesnay)
134. Gen. J. W. Jacobs (1908-ca. 1940)
135. Gertrude (1875-1878)
136. Gleaner (1899-1932)
137. Glenora (1874)
138. Glenora (1898--1902)
139. Glenora (1900) (?)
140. Gloomy Gus (?)
141. G. M. Dawson (1898)
142. Golden Crown (1902)
143. Golden Hind (1904)
144. Gold Star (1898-1906)
     Gov. Pingree (1898) (renamed Bonanza King)
145. Gov. Stoneman (1897-1898)
146. Gulkana (1909-1911)
     Gussie Brown (formerly Dawson City)
147. Gypsy Queen (1898)
148. Hamburg (1899)
149. Hamlin (1898-1917)
150. Hannah (1897-1914)
151. Hattie B. (1906)
152. Hattie Bell (1898)
153. Hazel B. (1917-1930) - propeller-driven, tunnel hull
154. Hazel B. No.2 (1920s) - propeller-driven, tunnel hull
155. Hazel B. No.3 (1930s) - propeller-driven, tunnel hull
156. Hazel B. No.4 (1930s-1940s) - propeller-driven, tunnel hull
157. Hazelton (1907-1912)
     Helen Bruce (aka Fortune Hunter) (1898-1905)
158. Herbert (1906) (?)
159. Herman (1898-1921)
160. Hootalinqua (1946-1950s)
161. Hope (1875-1882)
162. Ida Belle (1899) (?)
163. Ida May (1900-1914) (formerly W. H. Rideout)
164. Iditarod (1909)
165. Idler (1911)
166. Illinois (1898)
167. Imp (1897)
168. Independence (1898-1905)
169. Indianapolis (1898)
170. Innoko Flyer (1908)
171. International (1898, lost at sea en route to Alaska)
172. Iowa (1898)
173. Isabelle (1899-1914)
174. Iskoot (1898, lost en route to the Stikine)
175. James Domville (1898-1899)
176. James H. Hamilton (1899) (?)
177. J. B. Kerr (1898)
178. Jennie K. (1899)
179. Jennie M. (1898-1899)
180. Jessie (1898)
181. John C. Barr (1898-1914)
182. John Cudahy (1897-1914)
183. John Hamilton (1897)
184. John J. Healy (1896-1914)
185. John Reilley (1898-1905)
186. Joseph Clossett (1898-1903)
187. J. P. Light (1898-1930s)
188. Judith Ann (1949-1970) - propeller-driven, tunnel hull
189. Julia B. (1908-1924)
190. Kalamazoo (1898)
191. Katie Hemrich (1900) (formerly Van Vliet)
192. Keno (1922-1951)
193. Kestrel (1920-1922) (renamed Neecheah)
194. Keystone (ca. 1900) (?)
195. Kieukik (1897) (?)
196. Klondike (1928-1936)
197. Klondike No.2 (1937-1955)
198. Klondyke (1898-1917)
199. Klondyke (1920-1924)
200. Kluahne (1909-1919)
201. Koyukuk (1900-1902)
202. Koyukuk No.2 (1906-1911)
203. La France (1902-1911)
204. Lala Lee Collins (1898-1899)
205. Lavelle Young (1898-1920)
206. Leah (1898-1906)
207. Leon (1898-1914)
208. Leota (1898-1920)
     Lewiston (1923-1948) (renamed Barry K.)
209. Lightning (1898-1916)
210. Lilly C. (1898-1900)
211. Linda (1898-1914)
212. Linderman (1898-1899)
213. Little Delta (1908)
214. Little Jim (1898)
215. Little Snug (1910)
216. Lizzie B. (1898)
217. Loon (1922-1947) - propeller-driven
218. Lorellei (1898-1902)
219. Lorenda (1898)
220. Los Angeles (1898)
221. Lotta Talbot (1898-1906)
222. Louise (1898-1926)
223. Louise (1898-1899)
224. Luella (1898-1910)
225. Lulu Stewart (1898) (?)
226. McConnell (1898-1901)
227. Mabel C. (1898)
228. Manook (1899)
229. Marathon (1909) (?)
230. Margaret (1897-1914)
231. Marion (1901)
232. Marjorie (1899-1904)
233. Martha Clow (1898-1910)
234. Mary D. Hume (?)
235. Mary Ellen Galvin (1898)
236. Mary F. Graff (1898-1904)
237. Mascot (1898, ?)
238. Mascotte (1898)
239. May (1898)
240. May D. (1898-1900)
241. May West (1896-1917)
242. Midnight Sun (1911)
243. Milwaukee (1898-1900)
244. Minneapolis (1898-1947)
245. Minnesota (1898)
246. M. L. Washburn (191-1920)
247. Mocking Bird (1898)
248. Monarch (1898-1914)
249. Mono (1898-1902)
250. Monte Cristo (1898-1903)
251. Mount Royal (1902-1907)
252. Mumford (1866-1868)
253. Nahleen (1898-1899)
254. Nahlin (1912-1916)
255. Nancy Belle (?)
256. Nasutlin (1898)
257. Nasutlin (1912-1951)
     Neecheah (1922-1940s) (formerly Kestrel)
258. Nellie (1878-1888)
259. Nenana (1922-1954) - also see an NPS report.
260. Nenana (1933)
261. New Racket (1883-1897)
262. New York (1899)
263. Nizina (1909)
264. Nora (1898-1903)
     Norcom (1913-1918) (formerly Evelyn)
265. Northern(1898)
266. Northern Light (1896-1898)
267. Northern Light (1898)
268. Northern Light (1914)
269. North Star (1898)
270. Northwestern (1940-1949) (formerly Grahamona)
271. Nugget (1898)
272. Nunivak (1897-1909)
273. Ogilvie (1898-1901)
274. Oil City (1898-1914)
     Olive May (1899-1908) (formerly Dora)
275. Ora (1898-1905)
276. Otter (1898)
277. Otter (1899)
278. Pauline (1900)
279. Pauline (1907-1916)
280. Paul Walters (1898)
281. Peep (1909)
282. Pelly (ca. 1890)
283. Philip B. Low (1898)
284. Pilgrim (1898-1914)
285. Pinafore (1898) (?)
286. Pioneer (1911) (?)
287. Pioneer (1916)
288. Pointer (sidewheel) (1898)
289. Port Simpson (1909-1910)
290. Portus B. Weare (1892-1914)
291. Powell (1898) (?)
292. Prospector (1901-1911)
293. Pup (1905)
294. Puritan (1898) (?)
295. Quick (1900-1912)
296. Quickstep (1898-1922)
297. Ramona (1898)
298. Rampart (1908-1914)
299. Reaper (1898) (renamed Zealandian)
300. Redlands (1898)
301. Red Rider (?)
302. Reindeer (1898-1900)
303. Reliance (1880)
304. Reliance (1907-1927)
305. Robert Kerr (1898-1915)
306. Rock Island (1898-1906)
307. Rock Island No.2 (1898)
308. Rough Rider (1902-1905)
309. Ruth (1898-1901)
310. St. James (1899)
311. St. Joseph (1898)
312. St. Michael (1879-1914)
313. St. Michael No.2 (1898-1913)
314. Sadie (sidewheel) (1898-1903)
315. Samson (1898)
316. Samson (1910-1949)
317. Sarah (1898-1918)
318. Sayak (1900)
319. S. B. Matthews (1895)
320. Schwatka (1898-1917)
321. Schwatka (1905) (?)
322. Scotia (1899-1918)
323. Scout (1902)
324. Seattle (1898-1914)
325. Seattle No.1 (1897-1900)
326. Seattle No.3 (1898-1922)
327. Seattle No.4 (1898-1914)
328. Selkirk (1901-1920)
329. Shusana (1913-1914)
330. Sibilla (1916) - propeller-driven
331. Skagit Chief (1898)
332. Sovereign (1898-1904)
333. Staghound (1898, wrecked at sea en route to Alaska)
334. Stikine Chief (1898)
335. Strathcona (1898)
336. Sunflower (1900)
337. Susana (1913)
338. Susannah (1889) (?)
339. Susie (1898-1920)
340. Sybil (1898-1904)
341. Tacoma (1898-1914)
342. Tana (1905-1916)
343. Tanana (1904-1921)
344. Tanana Chief (1898)
345. Tarahne - propeller-driven, tunnel hull
346. T. C. Power (1898-1914)
347. Teddy H. (1910)
348. Tetlin (?)
349. Thistle (1897)
350. Thistle (1902-1929)
351. Thlinket (?)
352. Thomas Flyer (1912)
353. Tosi (1949)
354. Tourist (1907) (?)
355. Tutshi (1917-1955)
356. Tyrrell (1898-1920s)
357. Valley City (1898)
     Van Vliet (1898-1900) (renamed Katie Hemrich)
358. Vedder (1914)
359. Victoria (1897-1914)
360. Victoria (1898-1900)
361. Victorian (1898-1916)
362. Vidette
363. Viola (1897)
364. Weona (1898)
365. Western Slope (1879)
366. Western Star (1898)
367. W. H. Evans (1898-1900)
368. White Horse (1901-1955) (renamed Whitehorse)
369. White Seal (1905-1949)
     W. H. Rideout (1898-1900) (renamed Ida May)
370. W. H. Seward (1898)
371. Wilbur Crimmins (1898-1923)
372. Wild Cat (1898)
373. Wilder (1866-1867)
374. Will H. Isom (1901-1914)
375. William Ogilvie (1899-1915)
376. Willie Irving (1897-1899)
377. Winnifred (1898) (?)
378. Witch Hazel (1895-1898)
379. W. K. McKenzie (1899) (?)
380. W. K. Merwin (1897-1900)
381. W. S. Stratton (1898-1899)
382. Wyvern (1898-1900)
383. York Barrington
384. Youkon (1869-1880)
385. Yukon (1883-1901)
386. Yukon (1913-1942)
387. Yukoner (1898-1904)
388. Yukon Rose (1929-1958) - propeller driven
     Zealandian (1899-1931) (formerly Reaper)
389. Zodiac (1904) (?)

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References & Further Reading:

• Affleck, Edward L. - Afflecks' List of Sternwheelers Plying the Yukon Waterways (Vancouver, BC: Affleck, 1995)
• Mills, John M. - Canadian Coastal and Inland Steam Vessels, 1809-1930 (Providence, RI: Steamship Historical Society, 1979)

To Mileages on the Upper Yukon River

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©1998-2007 Murray Lundberg:
Use for other than research purposes must be approved by the author.