Although Kenora was the home port of some of the largest vessels plying the waters of Lake of the Woods during the Steamboat era, others ran out of Baudette MN., and Rainy Lake. These boats (ships) came in all sizes, shapes and of course various names. (Edna Bridges, Daisy Moore, the Keenora, the Swallow, and other colorful names)

The first steamboat of importance was aptly called "The Lady of the Lake" which sailed out of Rat Portage. She was 115ft. in length, originally driven by side paddle wheels and later converted to a sternwheeler. This vessel which was dismantled in 1880 brought steamboats into the mainstream of transporting passengers, freight, and lumber between Rat Portage, North West Angle, Fort Frances and many American ports of called including some along Rainy River.

Records show that around 1890, 21 steamboats were sailing between Fort Frances/International Falls and Rat Portage. As the birchbark canoe was the main form of transportation for the native Indians, the coming of the White Man brought the belching smoke of their ingenuity, The Steamboats, which at "that time" was the modern way to move across these waters.

Today, we too have made our mark on transportation across the boundaries of Lake of the Woods, in our, canoes, kayaks, sail boats, diesel powered, or gasoline powered, duel engine, fiberglass or aluminum sleek watercraft of today.

During the summer months you can still see the remains of the past as many owners of the then popular Peterborough Cedar Strip Boats at first half of the nineteenth century take them on the water for their yearly regatta. The cedar strip which was sleek, and had a beauty of their own still does to this day bring back fond memories of the past for many of our older generations still residing in this community.