New Steamship General Frisbie -- April 28, 2013

From the 11-May-1901 San Francisco Call. William A Coulter did many maritime drawings for the newspaper. Click on the image for a larger view. 

The Hatch Brothers, originally from Monticello, New York, founded the Monticello Steamship Company to operate ferries from Vallejo to San Francisco. Learn more about it on my ferryboat site: http://www.cable-car-guy.com/ferry/

New Steamship for Vallejo Trade.

The new steamer General Frisbie, built for the Vallejo trade by Hatch Bros., will have her trial trip in a day or two and will go into commission in time to take part in the launching of the battleship Ohio. The new boat is 170 feet long, 26 feet beam and 14 feet deep. She is expected to average eighteen knots an. hour. She will be licensed to carry 500 passengers, but will have accommodations for twice that number of people. The new steamer is named after the founder of Vallejo.  Old General Frisbie is now in Mexico and a few months ago celebrated his golden wedding. He married a daughter of the late General Vallejo.

The General Frisbie will be commanded by Captain George Wheeler of the Monticello.

Monticello Steamship Company -- January 14, 2011

The Monticello Steamship Company operated fast ferries between San Francisco and Vallejo, with a stop at the Mare Island Navy Yard on some runs. The boats connected with trains of the San Francisco, Vallejo and Napa Valley Electric Railroad. In later years they carried automobiles.

Ferry Sehome had a complicated life. She was built in 1877 as Mountain Queen, a stern-wheeler. In 1889, she was rebuilt as a side-wheeler. Monticello purchased her in 1909. In 1914, she was rebuilt to use a propeller. On 14-Dec-1918, fellow Monticello boat General Frisbie, rammed Sehome while proceeding through the fog near Point Pinole. No one was injured and Sehome's passengers were able to transfer to General Frisbie before Sehome went down. The Mare Island Navy Yard Marine Band played music to help calm the passengers.

The ad is from the 20-February-1910 San Francisco Call. Click on the image to see a larger version.