From 1875-1951 the only means of crossing the large lake to the east of Seattle, Lake Washington, was by boat. Steamboats and ferries transported passengers, vehicles, and freight across the lake. Steamboat operations on Lake Washington eventually became almost the sole province of one firm, Anderson Steamboat Company, founded by Swedish immigrant John L. Anderson (1868–1941), whose brother, Adolph Anderson, was also a steamboat master on the lake.

The Anderson company had over 50 stops on Lake Washington, including a 24-mile round-trip voyage on the Steamer Triton circling Mercer Island, which took about two hours and cost 25 cents. This voyage and others are described in the schedule seen here, created by the Anderson Steamboat Company.