James D. Miller

James D. Miller (1830–1914) was a steamboat captain in the Pacific Northwest from 1851 to 1903. He became well known for his long length of service, the large number of vessels he commanded, and the many different geographical areas in which he served.

Migration to Oregon Capt. James D. Miller arrived on the Pacific Coast in 1848. Arriving in Oregon Miller traded his horses and mules for an acre of land just north of Oregon City, Oregon at a place called Clackamas City.

Start in steamboating Miller had been in the flatboat business for about a year when on May 19, 1851, the first steamboat appeared on the upper Willamette. This was the small sidewheeler Hoosier. Although small and crude, Hoosier was capable of hauling much more cargo and wheat than any flatboat. Miller was soon out of business, however he did manage to be hired by Hoosier'''s owner, John Zumwalt. On board Hoosier, Miller worked as the bookkeeper, purser, pilot, deckhand and roustabout. In the fall of 1856 with his brother-in-law Silas R. Smith, Miller bought Hoosier and the next year built another steamboat Hoosier No. 2 and operated the vessel on the Willamette between Champoeg and Butteville and up the Yamhill River. Later, they rebuilt Hoosier' No. 2 and called her Hoosier No. 3. In 1860 he took the machinery out of Hoosier and placed it in the steam scow Yamhill. Miller ran Union on the Willamette River until 1866 when the vessel was acquired by the People's Transportation Company. From the Union Miler went as pilot on the Fanny Patton with Capt. George Jerome. After that, Miller moved to the Enterprise (built 1863) with Capt. Sebastian "Bas" Miller, remaining with Enterprise until that vessel was dismantled.

In 1868 Miller piloted the new steamer Albany with Capt. Lon Vickers. After a short term on Albany Miller entered the milling business at Oregon City. Soon afterward he served on the People's Transportation Company's steamers Onward, Senator and E.N. Cooke Miller was a passenger on Senator when she was blown up in 1875 near the Alder Street dock in Portland, Oregon. The Miller next day took command of the E. N. Cooke'', and ran her until the Oregon Steam Navigation Company absorbed the People's Transportation Company. Returning to Portland he served on the Governor Newell, Three Sisters, Toledo and Joseph Kellogg during 1891–92. between Jennings, Montana and Fort Steele, BC.. He remained there until August 1894, when he went to Puget Sound, purchased the steamer Halys, and had her shipped inland to be placed on the lower Kootenai River, running out of Bonner's Ferry, Idaho.

Steamboat operations out of Wenatchee In 1902 to 1903, Miller commanded steamboats on the reach of the Columbia River above Wenatchee, Washington.

Death and legacy Captain Miller died in Spokane, Washington on July 24, 1914.

Probably no other person had a longer career in the steamboat business in the Pacific Northwest. Over the course of his career, Miller commanded 36 steamboats, on the Tualatin, Willamette, Columbia and Kootenay rivers, among which were the vessels already named as well as Elwood, Multnomah, Undine, and Chelan. Captain Miller's son, James D. Miller, was also a steamboat pilot.