Steamboat travel on the Willamette River began in the 1850s, and included routes on the upper and lower sections of the river, with a portage of wagons and rail lines around Willamette Falls. The Oregon City locks were constructed and opened in 1873 to allow watercraft to pass from the upper to the lower river. Steamboat travel on the Willamette declined by the end of the 19th century due to the expansion and convenience of the railroad system.

Sources: "Freight List for the Steamer Express," Oregon History Project, (accessed July 31, 2025), https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/freight-list-for-the-steamer-express/; "Willamette Falls," by David Lewis, Oregon Encyclopedia, (accessed July 31, 2025), https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/willamette_falls/

Edward J. Partridge (1856-1891), known as E. J. Partridge in his life, owned and operated a photography studio in Portland, Oregon, with his brother William Partridge. The brothers originally worked with their father, Asa C. Partidge, who owned a photo supply company in West Virginia and later in Boston, Massachusetts. E. J. Partridge graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1876 and worked with his father before moving west to Oregon and opening a studio with William Partridge in 1884. The brothers operated their studio out of Portland and photographed their travels to other Western states, such as Washington, Alaska, and California. William Partridge returned to Boston in 1886, and E. J. Partridge subsequently ran the studio on his own for two years. In 1888, E. J. Partridge moved to San Francisco, California, to work with his other brother, Sam Partridge, in a photo supply business; he later returned to Portland to open his own supply operation, but died not long after, in 1891.

Source: "Edward J. Partridge," Old Oregon: the Art of Historic Photos website (accessed August 11, 2025), https://www.oldoregonphotos.com/photographers/ejpartridge.html