One of the great stories of the Columbia River is the longtime rivalry between Shaver Transportation and Tidewater Barge Lines. In the mid-nineties, OPB produced a great documentary that included historic footage of towboat* captains navigating the powerful currents of the pre-dam Columbia.
This picture was taken from atop Crown Point in the mid-nineties. This is a typical tow, with sea-going containers on the two lead barges, wheat in the near rear barges, and uncovered wood chips on the far rear barge. The barges are sized to fit in the series of locks on the Columbia River system.
*Even though they look like tugboats and they are pushing the barges, that is what they are called locally. The group of barges is called "the tow".
All materials on this site are copyright 1992-2012 by Doug Gorsline / ashcreekimages.com
