The steamship Virginia V is the last operational example of a Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet steamer. She was once part of a large fleet of small passenger and freight carrying ships that linked the islands and ports of Puget Sound in Washington state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She is a Seattle landmark and a National Historic Landmark.
Virginia V, at Olympia, Washington, 4 July 1996
Virginia V leading Sightseer, May 22, 1948.
Heavy damage to Virginia V caused by October 1934 storm
Virginia V, on Puget Sound, about June, 1983
Puget Sound mosquito fleet
The Puget Sound mosquito fleet was a multitude of private transportation companies running smaller passenger and freight boats on Puget Sound and nearby waterways and rivers. This large group of steamers and sternwheelers plied the waters of Puget Sound, stopping at every waterfront dock. The historical period defining the beginning and end of the mosquito fleet is ambiguous, but the peak of activity occurred between the First and Second World Wars.
Steamboats at Colman Dock, Seattle, circa 1912: Indianapolis is the large steamer on the right.
Yesler, Crawford and other wharves in 1882, with a number of steamers visible, including Teaser in foreground
King & Winge shipyard, in West Seattle, looking south, circa 1915 (but possibly earlier): The sternwheeler Vashon is on the marine railway at right. The lookout tower of the original clubhouse of the Seattle Yacht Club, originally just south of the shipyard, can also be seen.
Steamboats at Galbraith Dock (Pier 3), Seattle, circa 1912, Vashonian in center, Norwood at right
