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Lake History
Waterways of Squak Lake
The boats and scows on Squak Lake, now Lake Sammamish, between 1860 and 1889 carried passengers as well as products of the area. One of these passenger boats was The Squak.
The Squak "worked" the lakes carrying both freight and people for five years, from 1884 when she was constructed in Lake Washington at Houghton, until Christmas day in 1889 when a violent storm destroyed her at her pier in Kirkland. She was never rebuilt, but her machinery was removed and installed in a woolen mill there in Kirkland. Some divers claim to this day that they can see her hull outline on the lake bottom where she sank. When she worked, she was flexible, not exactly keeping to a schedule, so when one wished a ride, he had to wave a flag from the shore to get the captain's attention. The Squak would pull in and pick up the passenger. In disembarking the pilot would try his best to drop the passenger close to his target. Four of five different historians have made casual and short references to several captains who commanded this vessel. They were Capt. Jay C. O'Conner, who is said to have been instrumental in building her; Wells Green; J.F. Curtis; Henry Climer, and Capt. Spaulding. Not only was The Squak operated on a flexible schedule and accommodating on pick-up and delivery of her passengers, but her trips were known to have other human and thoughtful qualities. The story is told that upon departing from Monohan, a mill settlement on the east side of Squak Lake, as soon as The Squak was around the point heading for "Brunk Landing" (the dock for Squak (Issaquah) town), she would blow her whistle as many times as there were passengers aboard. This would notify the Inn at the landing how many would want a hot meal upon arrival. The trip from Monohan would take longer than an hour at her slow speed, so time was available for the proper preparation. From the existing picture of her, not all of her passengers were riding on business. The group of thirteen or fourteen in the photo (above), who are about to disembark, are returning from a two week camp out at what is now Jaunita Point on Lake Washington. On their way, they have picked cat tails to bring home. This also tells us that this photo was made in the fall of the year when the tails are big, long and fuzzy. A ladder was carried aboard The Squak for lowering to the land whenever necessary, providing a gangplank of sorts to facilitate loading and unloading of people. The ladder is in position for unloading in the photo. Of interest are the sources of these meager bits of information. The writings of the late C.T. Conover, the late Joshua Green, and the material recorded by Elmer Carlburg of Woodinville, Gordon Ross of Redmond, and an interview in 1971 with the late Hank Johnson of The Ariel steamer on Lake Washington, have helped put together this composite of transportation on Squak Lake between 1862 and 1889.
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She was a motor scow of barge-type construction with an engine house and pilot house
superimposed, one behind the other, on the deck. Passengers had no protection from the
weather but rode out on the front deck in the breezes.
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