Facing stiff competition vying for business on the waters of Puget Sound, La Conner T&T merged with Alaska Steamship Company and began rapidly expanding.
“You don’t get rich working on a steamboat… you get rich owning steamboats.” Joshua Green approached Jacob Furth about borrowing $5,000 to buy a good stern-wheeler and a scow. Furth stated “I think you’ll pay it back” at which point Joshua Green, Sam Denny, Peter Falk, and Frank Zikmund were in business.
When a young woman from Avon asked to try out Joshua Green’s new Smith and Wesson self-cocking revolver she turned towards him exclaiming “it won’t go off.” But, it did – right in his face. The bullet circled part of his skull and exited near the top of his head. Miraculously he survived!
At the age of nineteen, Joshua Green traveled with his family by rail from Jackson, Mississippi, through Chicago, St. Paul, Spokane Falls, and Portland all before arriving at the landing dock in Tacoma, Washington. Once there, a small steamboat by the name of Edith took them the last 28 miles to their new home—Seattle.