I. B. Sanborn
I.B. Sanborn was a Columbia River pilot. In 1897 he was working for the Upper Columbia Navigation & Tramway Co. and was the captain on the Ruth when she was wrecked in Jennings Canyon.1) The sternwheeler Ruth, built in 1895, was the fastest steamer to operate on the upper Wilette River. Wikipedia says that the Ruth sank as a result of a collision when an all-steel vessel was launched into her.2)
In 1898, Sanborn was captain of the Hacking before he left for the Yukon. In 1899 and 1900 he was the master of the Canadian Development Company’s (CDC) sternwheeler Columbian.3) WP&YR bought the CDC fleet of riverboats in 1901.
In 1901, Captain Sanborn was given a job with White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) in Whitehorse to supervise the refitting of five sternwheelers. WP&YR purchased the boats from Canadian Pacific. The Ogilvie, Hamlin and McConnell were in Wrangel, having operated on the Stikine River. The Dawson was on the ways at Vancouver, completed but not yet launched. The Walsh was on the Fraser River and had been lying there since the collapse of the gold rush route up the Stikine River. The purchase gave WP&YR control of fifteen first class steamers. The boats were to be taken to Skagway and dismantled for shipment to Whitehorse where they would be rebuilt for Yukon River navigation. Hotline and Co. of Seattle were awarded the contract for constructing the new boats and between 150 and 200 ship carpenters were expected to arrive in Whitehorse in February 1901 to commence operations. The completion date was 1 June 1901. The rates on the new fleet changed from weight and measurement to a system where freight was rated and classified by grade and quality of goods. A large derrick was scheduled for erection on the Whitehorse wharf for loading and unloading machinery and heavy material. WP&YR was expecting to add another addition to the Whitehorse waterfront warehouse and an electric light plant to light the depot, wharf and warehouses.4)
In 1917, old-time Yukon River pilot Captain I.B. Sanborn came through Whitehorse from the south, on his way to pilot the Atlinto a White Pass passenger boat being built at Carcross. The boat was scheduled to run between Carcross and the portage (Taku) on the Atlin route.5)