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Show Steam Ship Lines Navigated Great Salt Lake $45,000 CITY OF CORINNE HAULED PASSENGERS, FREIGHT By Bernice G. Anderson From early dawn the roads leading into the town were crowded with visitors from the surroundng area until the hour of the launching until at least three thousand visitors mingled with the 3500 townspeople. Included in this crowd were about seven or eight hundred people from Ogden and Salt Lake City. Far up and down the river banks the swaying mass Was assembled to see the City of Corinne" eral J. A. Williamson, General glide into the river. Patrick Connor, Fox Diefendorf, The boat had been built just j. , House, Alex Toponce, and of south of the railroad, near the many others, the launching the City of Corinne, it was the rive and the 2 launching was scheduled for p. m. As the fasgreatest victory ever achieved in -s tenings were hewn away and mountains, these the glided down Tuesday, May 23, 1871, was a the graceful shipvoice was pitchways, every towns in the history. day big to cheer. But the cheer did had ed For months the steamer not come After moving about been in the building and now feet the boat stopped twenty be was launched, Bhe ready to still. The weight on the ways the pride and Joy of all- the to envision a near, the waters edge proved town. It too much for them and they Mississippi type 'river steamer into the mud. of 150 foot length with a- huge settled, run on wheel The boat the builders went to stern, paddle its work and the crowds .scattered by steam- engines,-makin- g way through the channel of the aound for a look at the city. It was ten minutes after six when Bear River. Out of an obscure past, dimmed by the 82 years which have oassed since her launching, the CITY OF OCXRINNE steamboat lives again for those who have the vision of history, plying her way down the Bear River and across the Great Salt Lake to Black Rock, and returning to her home port. To the ambitious founders of Corinne among whom were Gen- - -- d tut Swimmers Surround City of Corinne River Boat that was constructed in Corinne and sailed many years. a Mississippi ... Salt Lake for , The crowds rushed to the Presbyterian church rang out in wild glee, to landing to see the boat In the tell the world that the City of water, the largest vessel ever to run on the Great Salt Lake. Corinne" was in the river. the bell of the pr the Great Miss Jennie Black wa9 escorted on deck by Mayor Munro, and as the boat was christened wild cheers rose Jrom the crowd. The boat cost about $45,000, and it appears that Fox Diefendorf was the father of Corinnes merchant navy, for the boat had combeen built to establish merce with the area across the lake, and also with Salt Lake City. Chas. Dahl was in charge of the engines which were shipped around Cape Horn from the Great Lakes boat builder in Chicago to San Francisco, and it was he who went to the coast and brought the engines here on the new railroad. First captain of the boat was Sam Howe, and Chas. Dahl, w'ho later ran the Valley House in Salt Lake City, captained the boat a short time later. The boat made several trips across the lake, picking up ora and hauling it back to the smelter at Corinne, but as high, sluggish water built up sand bars in the channel she was finally marooned out in the lake and her home port became Black Rock. She was used to haul passengers on excursion trips on the lake, and also livestock to be .pastured on the islands. General Garfield, candidate for president, was taken on one of these trips or excursions and the boat was renamed the Garfield in his honor. With the development of the Garfield Beach bathing resort, she was (Continued on Following Page) SMOKEY SAYS If CKtyyouc&ff |