Archives West Finding Aid

The ferry Leschi , operated by the Port of Seattle Commission, ran on Lake Washington between Leschi Park, Bellevue, and Medina from 1913 to 1950. The Leschi was part of the port commission's attempt to improve municipal ferry service on Lake Washington, which was in danger of being undercut by private entrepreneurs. Originally, the Leschi was constructed as a side-wheel steam ferry at the East Waterway shipyard of J.F. Duthie & Co., Seattle. After being completed, the sidewheeler's hull was knocked down and transported to Lake Washington's Rainier Beach, where it was reassembled and launched on December 6, 1913. The Leschi was christened by Miss Eleanor Chittenden, daughter of General Hiram Chittenden, who was president of the port commission and one of the speakers at the launch (the Ballard Locks were later named after General Chittenden).

An ingenious system of feathering paddle-buckets gave the Leschi a speed of 14-15 knots, with 750 horsepower engines. She was later rebuilt with a diesel engine, a propeller, and a streamlined look in 1931. The Leschi continued service on Lake Washington for ten years after the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge was built in 1940. After retirement from Lake Washington in 1950, the Leschi continued to serve on the Vashon-Faunteroy and Mukilteo ferry runs, finally retiring from state service in 1967. She was then sold to the Cape St. Elias Ocean Products Company, which refitted her as a cannery at Ballard Marine Center in Seattle in 1969. The Leschi sailed to Alaska and operated as a floating salmon and crab cannery until 1986, when her wooden hull finally gave way and she capsized near Valdez.