The Comet was a small sternwheel steamboat (paddlewheeler) that operated briefly in 1908 on the upper Green River, a major tributary of the Colorado River system, between Green River, Wyoming, and Linwood, Utah.
It was part of short-lived early 20th-century attempts to establish powered commercial navigation on the upper Green and Colorado rivers (in contrast to the longer, more successful steamboat era on the lower Colorado from the Gulf of California upstream to the Virgin River, roughly 1852–1916). These upper-river efforts faced severe challenges from low water, sandbars, swift currents, rocks, and rapids, and most vessels had very short careers.
Construction and Specifications
The Comet was built in Green River, Wyoming, by Holger (also referred to as Marius N. or Holger) Larsen and launched in July 1908 as the flagship of the newly formed Green River Navigation Company. Construction cost about $25,000. Steam engines were sourced from Chicago.
Key specifications (from contemporary lists of Colorado River system steamboats):
- Type: Sternwheeler (stern-wheel paddle steamer).
- Length: 60 feet.
- Beam: 12 feet (one secondary compilation lists 20 feet; primary list data favors 12 feet).
- Propulsion/engines: Coal-fired, two 20 hp engines.
- Other: Shallow-draft design intended for the river’s variable conditions; cargo and passenger capacity is not precisely recorded in surviving summaries but was modest, suited to local freight and passengers rather than heavy bulk trade.
It represented an early shift on the upper Green from oar-powered craft to steam power.
Role Along the River
The Green River Navigation Company aimed to carry freight and passengers between Green River, Wyoming (a railroad town), and ranches downstream as far as Linwood, Utah (at the confluence of the Green with Henry’s Fork). This would have reduced reliance on overland freight and supported isolated ranches and communities.
Its maiden voyage was celebrated as a major local event tied to the Fourth of July 1908 festivities. It departed Green River for Linwood (accounts vary slightly on exact departure timing around July 4–7). The downstream leg was relatively successful (one report notes about eight hours), but the return trip proved disastrous: it took roughly 33 hours and was plagued by low water, sandbars, strong currents, and rocks. Passengers and crew repeatedly had to unload the boat and manually haul it past obstacles; fuel shortages forced stops at ranches for more coal.
Only a few trips were completed before operations ceased. The venture quickly proved impractical for regular commercial service.
Ultimate Fate
After its limited runs in 1908, the Comet was abandoned in the Green River a few hundred yards downstream from Green River, Wyoming (near the later site of the Highway 530 bridge area). Portions of the hull remained visible at low water for years afterward. Its bell was later salvaged and used by the local Rotary Club. A historical marker in Green River’s Island Park (Expedition Island area) commemorates the vessel and this brief chapter of river history.
The Comet’s failure mirrored other upper Green/Colorado experiments (such as the Major Powell, Undine, Cliff Dweller, Black Eagle, and Charles H. Spencer), which were similarly short-lived due to the river’s difficulties. Commercial steamboating never became viable on this stretch, unlike the lower Colorado, where vessels supported military posts, mining, and settlement until railroads and dams (notably Laguna Dam) ended the era.