The Arthur Foss was built in 1899 as the WALLOWA to tow ships across the Columbia River bar. On a return trip from the Klondike Gold Rush around 1897, the WALLOWA ran aground and was out of commission until 1930. At that time, the Foss Tug Co. of Seattle purchased the tug and restored her to star in the 1934 movie Tug Boat Annie. Now renamed Arthur Foss, the tug went on to tow logs in the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the late 1940s until 1968 when she was retired and donated to Seattle maritime organization, Northwest Sea Port. She is now docked on Lake Union right outside MOHAI. The artist, William Ryan, resides in the Seattle area and is noted for his oil and watercolor marine themes and landscapes.