The Arthur Foss

The oldest wooden tugboat was a movie star

A fleet of historic vessels owned by the non-profit Northwest Seaport Maritime Heritage Center and moored at Seattle’s Lake Union Park offers a deep dive into the maritime heritage of the Northwest Coast and the Puget Sound.

You’ll see the 129-foot-long Lightship No. 83, known as Swiftsure, which launched in 1904 and served as a floating lighthouse in several ports. In addition to being the oldest lightship in the country, Swiftsure is the only one with its original steam engine. The fishing vessel Tordenskjold dates to 1911 and was built in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Named for Norwegian / Danish naval hero Peter Tordenskjold, this sturdy, 75-foot halibut schooner is made from fir planks and old growth timber. It fished the North Pacific and Bering Sea for 100 years.

To many, the real star here is the 120-foot-long Arthur Foss. It is the country’s oldest wooden tugboat and the oldest floating vessel in the Pacific Northwest. Built in Portland, OR in 1889, the year Washington became a state, and launched as the Wallowa, the sturdy tug’s first job was towing sailing ships across the treacherous bar at the mouth of the Columbia River. During the Klondike Gold Rush (see ch. 56), the tug towed ships and barges as far as Nome, Alaska. Purchased by Seattle’s Foss Maritime Company and renamed the Arthur Foss after the eldest son of company founders Thea and Andrew Foss, the tug was tapped for a starring role as the Narcissus in the hit 1933 film Tugboat Annie. That film and several others, including one with Ronald Reagan, were based on a series of short stories about a tough-talking female tug skipper inspired by Seattle’s waterfront culture and the Foss family saga. Updated with a diesel engine to replace its steam one, the powerful Arthur Foss went on to have many more adventures, including military service during World War II, before retiring in 1968.

Address Historic Ships Wharf, Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, +1 (206) 447-9800, www.nwseaport.org, info@nwseaport.org | Getting there Bus C, 40, 64 to Westlake Avenue N & Mercer Street; South Lake Union Streetcar to Lake Union Park | Hours Unrestricted, see website for tour schedule | Tip The 1909 historic cruising houseboat M / V Lotus nearby hosts dockside tours, afternoon tea, and overnight stays (1010 Valley Street, www.mvlotus.org).