# Nowitka

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***Nowitka*** was a sternwheel steamboat that operated in [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia) on the [Columbia River](/source/Columbia_River) from 1911 to May 1920. The name is a Chinook Jargon word usually translated as "Indeed!" or "Verily!".

## Design and construction

*Nowitka* was built at [Golden, BC](/source/Golden,_British_Columbia) for the Golden Columbia River Lumber Company. *Nowitka'*s engines were over 70 years old, and had been originally built for a ferry crossing the [St. Lawrence River](/source/St._Lawrence_River). The engines had been previously installed in other sternwheelers on the upper Columbia River, including the first [*Duchess*](/source/Duchess_(sternwheeler_1886)), the second [*Duchess*](/source/Duchess_(sternwheeler_1888)) and [*Ptarmigan*](/source/Ptarmigan_(sternwheeler)).[1] The blunt-ended bow of *Nowitka* allowed the vessel to be readily capable of pushing barges, which increased the vessel's utility and effective cargo capacity.[2][3]

## Operations

*Nowitka* was placed on the [Columbia River](/source/Columbia_River) route that began at Golden and ran south, at least during high water, to [Columbia Lake](/source/Columbia_Lake), the ultimate source of the Columbia River. *Nowitka* was last used to haul supplies to construct a bridge at [Brisco, BC](/source/Brisco,_British_Columbia).[2][3]

## Removal from service

Following construction of the bridge at Brisco, *Nowitka* was taken out of service in May 1920, and abandoned near the sawmill wharf at Golden. *Nowitka* was the last steamboat to operate on the Columbia River in the Columbia Valley, although gasoline and diesel powered vessels did run later on the river.[2][3]

## Notes

1. McCurdy, H.W., ed., *H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest*, at 191, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA 1966

1. Affleck, Edward L., *A Century of Paddlewheelers in the Pacific Northwest, the Yukon, and Alaska*, at 57, Alexander Nicholls Press, Vancouver, BC 2000 ISBN 0-920034-08-X

1. Downs, Art, *Paddlewheels on the Frontier -- The Story of British Columbia and Yukon Sternwheel Steamers*, at 101-112, Superior Publishing, Seattle WA 1972

## Further reading

- Faber, Jim, *Steamer's Wake—Voyaging down the old marine highways of Puget Sound, British Columbia, and the Columbia River*, Enetai Press, Seattle, WA 1985 ISBN 0-9615811-0-7
- Timmen, Fritz, *Blow for the Landing*, 75–78, 134, Caxton Printers, Caldwell, ID 1972 ISBN 0-87004-221-1

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nowitka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowitka) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowitka?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.