As river traffic increased, Hedges and some partners decided to put a steamboat on the Willamette above the falls. Hedges gathered up several thousand dollars in gold, and made a trip back east to buy the machinery for the vessel. He bought two engines which were shipped around Cape Horn to Oregon.
As river traffic grew, Hedges and some partners decided to install a steamboat on the Willamette above the falls. Hedges collected several thousand dollars in gold and traveled east to purchase the vessel's machinery. He bought two engines that were shipped around Cape Horn to Oregon.