The last three columns recounted a letter written by noted historian and author Capt. Frederick Way Jr. to the marine superintendent of Ashland Oil & Refining Company AO&R) in January… Read More
Old Boat Column
A look back into the rich history of the inland waterways transportation industry. From the earliest steam paddlewheelers to the grand sternwheel and sidewheel packets, and the eventual transition from steam to diesel, you’ll find fascinating stories and photos of a different steamboat every week.
The previous two columns have been about the original Ashland Oil & Refining Company (AO&R) towboat named Ashland going missing during a flood in December 1942 and January 1943. The… Read More
In the last column, we began looking at a letter written by noted historian and author Capt. Frederick Way Jr. to M.C. Dupree, marine superintendent of Ashland Oil & Refining… Read More
It is hard to imagine today, given the plethora of communications technology available to towboats and company office personnel, but there once was a time none of that existed. Towboats… Read More
In the last column, we looked at the first of three towboats named Kay D. St. Louis Ship built the first in 1940 for the Marine Transportation Company (MTC) of… Read More
A question posed to me on a social media post recently has prompted this column. Multiple boats with the same name can cause confusion, particularly when the boats in question… Read More
The subject of this column in the January 22, 2024, issue of The Waterways Journal was the twin-screw, diesel towboat Progress of the American Barge Line (ABL) which was built… Read More
The last column dealt with the lead vessel of three that the Lake Tankers Corporation ordered from St. Louis Shipbuilding & Steel Company. That boat was the 1,200 hp., twin-screw… Read More
The St. Louis Shipbuilding & Steel Company began in 1933 as a partnership involving Herman Pott, Everett Enslin and R.C. Bradshaw. The shipyard was on the site of the Rohan… Read More
In the February 5, 2024, issue of The Waterways Journal, this column detailed the St. Paul Socony, built by Ingalls in 1940 for the Socony Vacuum Oil Company of New… Read More
