The Snake River mail route ran 95 miles down the Snake River, through Hell's Canyon, from Lewiston to Johnson's Bar in Idaho, is known for being treacherous and full of rapids. The tradition of the River Route began in 1919 when Press Brewrink was awarded the first mail contract, according to United States Postal Service records.
One of the more well-known captains along the route was Captain Kyle McGrady who delivered mail and supplies along the route to over 300 persons. Due to the unreliability of radio transmission within the canyon, Captain McGrady would utilize homing pigeons as his primary means of communication. Although the area is more accessible than it used to be, the River Route still operates today.
Photographs from William Grand's trip up the Snake River on a mail boat showing scenes of the river and the people on the boat. It also includes a photograph of the pigeons on his boat used for carrying messages back to Lewiston. The photographer annotated the photographs with notes about the trip.
The collection is open to the public.
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Source: Fairlook Antiques, January 6, 2006
Processed by Marion Brown, 2008;
Photographs were pulled from a disintegrating scrapbook. The original order of the photographs was maintained. Item numbers reflect the page numbers of the scrapbook.
Written on verso: Pilot and Passengers Prepare For the Trip (at Lewiston, Idaho). Vacationists from all over the U.S. have journeyed to Lewiston, starting point for the spectacular trip up stream to the limit of navigation on the Snake River. They claim they get their money's worth in scenery, adventure and "shooting the rapids." The boat pulls out from its modest dock at Lewiston at 5 a.m. sharp.
The afternoon before the trip everyone went down to see Mr. Grady and his boat.
Written on verso: Dr. and Mrs. Brooke, and Juliette discussing the "fine points" of the Snake River navigation with Capt. McGrady, our pilot. Snap shot taken the day before we left on our river trip.
Written on verso: At 5 a.m. at Lewiston, Idaho... on a cold, gloomy early morning, the Brookes and their party, climb on board Captain Grady's mail boat, and start on the adventurous trip up the Snake Rivet [sic] to Hell's Canyon.
Written on verso: At 5 a.m. Lewiston lay in the cold gloom of an early morning.
Written on verso: Snake River... On The Way to Hell's Canyon.
These benches hem in the lower reaches of the Snake River, beyond Lewiston, Idaho, but before the river banks stiffen into dark craigs [sic] of the main canyon. There is nobody around and no sign of habitation. The ranches are back in the hills.
Written on verso: Tourists Use Binoculars and Cameras.
The pilot of the mail boat knows the tricky channels of the Snake from the start at Lewiston, and is familiar with the colorful history of canyon and river. Every turn of the river is an adventure in color and form. Nature has spent a million or so years on these noble halls of the canyon.
As it warmed up, shortly after noon, more people appeared on deck, [illegible] with binoculars and cameras.
Written on verso: Shooting the Rapids of the Snake.
One rapid follows another in a fairly regular succession. Passengers distribute themselves around, some on the deck, some on the cat walk and a few in the pilot house with the captain. Some grab the handrail as the boat keels and the splash breaks over the bow of the boat.
Written on verso: The Brooke party, with Mr. and Mrs. Bill Howell, Ann Grand, Mr. and Mrs. H. Heynema of Chatsworth, Cal, Capt McGrady in at the wheel.
McGrady training carrier pigeons to carry messages from the boat- because radio waves do not penetrate the depth of Hells Canyon on the Snake River.
Note pigeons in the foreground; they were released at intervals during trip to carry messages back to Lewiston.
Written on verso: At "Rolling Rapids" we had to get out and walk around. This scene is a little dark and gloomy, but it captured the mood of the passengers as they knew they'd be walking at least twice more later.
At "Rolling Rapids," the Pilot Calls, "All on Shore!"
The more than a hundred boulder-studded rapids of the Snake, cause the sturdy mail boat to buck and growl over some of the rough ones. Occasionally, during the season of low water, the pilot invites the passengers to "take shore leave" to lighten the load over some of the bad spots... which help make the trip a real adventure in scenery and hazards.
Written on verso: A Rancher Calls for His Mail.
The mail boat noses up to a rock or sand bar, called a "port" and delivers mail to a rancher whose only address is: River Route, Lewiston, Idaho.
Written on verso: A Most Unusual Tourist Attraction.
Out into the current again to deliver more mail and supplies at landings on the Snake River. there are great beds of limestone on both sides of the river--destined some day to be quarried and put to industrial use.
Vacationists from all over the U.S. have journeyed to Lewiston, Idaho, starting point for the spectacular boat trip... shooting the rapids of the Snake.
Written on vereso: As the unloading of gasoline drums continues, McGrady got into dry clothes. Passengers eager to assist.
River Mailman Hauls Mail, Cargo & Tourists.
The pilot of the mail boat does everything..... he hauls herders up the river; ferries sheep across the Snake River; brings sacks of wool to market; shunts miners back and forth; carries supplies; delivers mail; fills orders at Lewiston; sells stamps, cashes checks; delivers drums of oil. Passengers often lend a "helping hand."
Written on verso: Out into the river the mail boat moves on, as passengers watch the walls of the canyon grow higher and higher.
Written on verso: Sacks of wool to be loaded and taken to Lewiston while on return trip.
Bales of Wool Ready for the Mail Boat.
The tall, picturesque Leslie Oliver hung out a white flag as a signal for the mail boat to stop at his landing, to haul the baled wool from his canyon ranch to Lewiston, Idaho.
Mr. Oliver has 5,400 acres of land and 1,100 heads of cross-bred sheep. He, like the other half hundred person living along the 99 miles of surging river, between Johnson Bar and Lewiston, depends on the mail boat for supplies and cargo.
Wm. Grand 2305 S.W. Vermont, Portland, Oregon.
Written on verso: Loading wool sacks aboard by rolling them down to the waters' edge, and up a gangplank.
Wool Out of the Wilderness.
The mail boat noses into the bank and holds on, while passengers take a hand in loading wool on board. This is wool from the sheep which Leslie Oliver runs on his 5,400 acres. He has lived over a quarter of a century in the Canyon of the Snake, along with sheepherders, cattle ranchers, prospectors, trappers and hermits.
Written on verso: One of a few hay barns to be seen as we go along.
There is always plenty to add spice and variety to the scenery, a nesting eagle, deer, coyotes, snow cliffs, hay barns, etc. as the mail boat stems [sic] its way up stream.
Written on verso: One of the rougher rapids we entered on our return trip.
The Snake Becomes a Wild, Turbulent Stream.
This section is almost as primitive as when the eyes of the white man first gazed upon it. The lively chuck of the diesel motors of the mail boat, heralds the arrival of food, mail, supplies and news to the adventurous men who herd sheep and cattle there.
Written on verso: McGrady carried mail, groceries, fuel for farm machinery. He is unloading the first of four drums of gasoline at a ranchers bar.
At Dug Bar.... Drums of Oil for Tibbetts.
At Dug Bar, in the canyon, rancher Bob Tibbetts came down from his home in this far-flung wilderness, to hail the boat and check off the barrels of oil he had ordered shipped.
Mr. Tibbetts has his own special mail box, on which he hangs a white flag to signal the boat to stop at this landing.
Written on verso: The cheerful cook from the Van Pool's ranch exchanges final wisecracks with passengers when she got off.
The Cook Returns to the Van Pool's Ranch (Near Salmon Bar on Snake River).
Passengers as well as mail and cargo depend on the mail boat for transportation on the River Route. Here the cook returns to the rugged canyon ranch of Harold Van Pool, where he runs 850 heads of Herford cattle on his 17,000 acres. Harold's father homesteaded in this tough wilderness and prospered.
Written on verso: The boat "Florence" in throes of "Rolling Rapids." Women stayed aboard, but up in the bow. See picture of gloomy passengers re-embarking.
In the Throes of Rolling Rapids on the Snake.
Rolling Rapids, about 64 miles below Lewiston, Idaho slows down the mailman's floating post office. It seems to stand still in the foaming waters. "All on Shore," the pilot shouts, and the 25 odd passengers take "shore leave" amid the wild rugged beauty of the Snake River Canyon.
Written on verso: A Floating Post Office.
The most spectacular mail route in a most remote and inaccessible region. The Snake is called the wildest river in America, and the canyon becomes the deepest gorge on the North American Continent.
Written on verso: McGrady at the wheel.
It Takes a Daring Pilot to Navigate.
The captain pilots his boat on the trip up the Snake River against the swift current, and over treacherous, boulder-studded rapids.
The mail boat has a lot of power, and yet the captain needs every bit of it to fight his way up stream against the 8 to 10-knot currents, and to climb the 510 feet that the river rises en route to Johnson Bar.
Written on verso: Shooting the Rapids--on the way downstream. These particular rapids are unidentified. However all the rapids look alike.
Mail Boat Chucks its Way Along.
It takes a highly skilled pilot to navigate a boat against the heavy current and treacherous rapids in the deep canyon of the Snake River. Of the hundred or more rapids in this section of the Upper Snake, there are five that present a real battle to the most skilled navigator.. the Slaughterhouse, Ten Mile, Wild Goose, Shovel Creek and Tiger Rapids.
Written on verso: This is a rarely seen view as passengers (i.e. photographers) do not normally have the opportunity to leave the boat prior to its destination. The boat is shown here as it navigate the Upper Cottonwood rapids with the passengers dotting the shoreline.
Navigating the Upper Cottonwood Rapids.
Cottonwood Rapids on the Upper Snake River, give the passengers a real taste of "shooting the chutes." The mail boat, while no plush, showy affair, is nevertheless tough and sturdy enough to fight its way thru [sic] this wild river in the deepest canyon on the North American continent.
Written on verso: About halfway along in the upstream trip the river bank assumed a more rugged appearance--as contrasted with the gentle rolling hills in Lewiston district.
Hell's Canyon... A Glimpse of its Sinister Splender [sic].
Steep benches hem in the lower reaches of the Snake River, before the river banks stiffen into the dark craigs [sic] of the main canyon. The engines of the mail boat, echoring [sic] thru [sic] the twisting lava corridor are a signal to the people of the wilderness that neither foaming rapids nor a gorge a mile deep halts the U.S. Mail.
Written on verso: Upper Cottonwood Rapids contrast this with same view taken from higher up on hillside. It took McGrady about 45 minutes to "feel his way" thru [sic] this part.
Sides of Canyon Get Steeper.
The mail boat keeps right on moving up the river--more rapids. The rock walls get higher. Some of them slope up to 1,500 or 2,000 feet at the apparent summits. Some of the walls are sheer for a few hundred feet; others have a 30 to 40 degree slope. Primitive areas on both sides of Hell's Canyon are unspoiled as yet by civilization.
Written on verso: At the point where McGrady unloaded his drums of gasoline the passengers had time to disembark and walk around.
Here Comes the Mail Man.
The Post Office Dept. says in its long history there never has been an undertaking as singular as the mal service on "River Route, Lewiston, Idaho." This is the official address of the half hundred residents now living along the Snake River, north of Lewiston, Idaho, to Johnson Bar. The mailmen also serves as grocery boy, cargo carrier and Chamber of Commerce official of Hells Canyon.
Written on verso: Additional view of boat about to enter Upper Cottonwood Rapids in upstream trip.
The Snake River Passage.
Thru [sic] miles of canyon, and innumerable rapids, in that inaccessible, little-known region called "Hell's Canyon," the mail boat delivers mail and cargo to ranchers and miners on the banks of the Snake. Regular mail trips are made each week, where the mountains close in on the narrowing river, and where rapids follow another in fairly regular succession.
Written on verso: The rapids are not shown in this view, the pilot having let the passengers off about a half mile below them before making the try. (Upper Cottonwood Rapids.)
The Mighty Kingdom of the Snake River.
... where the engines of the small mail boat echo thru the twisting lava corridors. The diesel engines of the ship reverberate back and forth between the crags, as she bucks steeper slats in the river.
Inch by inch the sturdy boat gains headway, until it surmounts the crest of the Upper Cottonwood Rapids.
Written on verso: View showing McGrady's lodge, in here passengers stayed over night. This parish, called Johnson Bar, is about 10 mi. from the entrance to the Grand Canyon of the Snake R.
Johnson Bar...The End of Our Journey.
At last, after an all day trip from Lewiston, Idaho, the mail boat beaches nine miles south of Johnson Bar, on the Snake. The pilot has taken his mail boat and passengers thru [sic] one of the roughest reaches of water in the world. The lodge provides overnight accommodatio. A sturgeon has been caught and is hauled aboard the boat. Passengers climb the steep walls of the canyon to view the magnificent scenery. The lodge is about ten miles from the entrance of Hell's Canyon... that vast abyss of the Snake, where navigation becomes impossible.
Written on verso: Capt. MacFarlane Made History on Upper Snake River.
Capt. Ed. MacFarlane, now retired, lives in Lewiston, Idaho. He was the first man to run a commercial boat on the dangerous Upper Snake River.
He spent 30 years on the river. His launch "The Clipper" made Sunday excursion from Lewiston, Idaho, to Imnaha, Oregon. He carried supplies to the miners and ranchers up the Snake, as far as it is navigable.
Written on verso: Mrs. Sapp, Storekeeper, Banker, Friend.
Mrs. Sapp, owner of Sapp's Grocery in Lewiston, Idaho, not only fills grocery orders for Snake River residents, but is also the only woman in Idaho licensed to handle the gold for miners who gather the glittering dust from the canyon area.
Mrs. Sapp is called upon to fill unique orders from that locality, including anything from baby layette to cyanide potassium.
Written on verso: Lewiston Storekeeper, Brings Snake River Trade to Lewiston, Idaho.
The Sapp Grocery at Lewiston, Idaho, is owned and run by Mrs. Ruth Buchanan Sapp for over a quarter of a century. She and her late husband George, developed a plan to bring the Snake River trade to Lewiston. They realized how difficult it was for the people up the canyon to come to Lewiston to shop, so she started a shopping service. A customer she has never seen may have as much as $300 on her books. She pays tribute to the average miner and sheepherder of the river country, for his courage, sticktuitiveness [sic] often under adverse conditions.