Several steamboats carried the name of Alton, paying tribute to the Illinois city on the Upper Mississippi River above St. Louis. Undoubtedly the best known and most attractive riverboat to… 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.
Built in 1913 at Santa Rosa, Fla., the unique sidewheeler Julia Belle Swain was originally the Charles E. Cessna, named for a Chicago physician. The riverboat was designed to run… Read More
Built at Evansville, Ind., in 1879, the John R. Hugo was originally listed as a towboat. The wood hull was only 82.6 feet in length by 20 feet in width. Read More
Built in 1887 for a contract cost of $5,800, the packet Matt F. Allen was a product of the Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind. Constructed on a wooden hull measuring… Read More
Taken 80 years ago, this week’s image for the Old Boat Column features the sidewheeler President. Originally built in 1924 for the Louisville & Cincinnati Packet Company as the Cincinnati,… Read More
Early September was typically the time when excursion boats began winding down the season. Undoubtedly, the most famous of firms that operated excursion vessels was Streckfus Steamers, of St. Louis… Read More
Originally the pleasure steamboat Minnesota, this petite sternwheeler was a product of the Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind. In the autumn of 1915, Edmonds J. Howard, proprietor of the famed… Read More
Built at Rock Island, Ill., in 1892 for the prominent lumber firm of Weyerhaeuser & Denkmann, the E. Rutledge was named for a wealthy lumberman from Chippewa Falls, Wis. The… Read More
Originally named Mary S. Blees, this sternwheeler was built in 1899 at Mobile, Ala., on a wooden hull that measured 170 feet in length by 34 feet in width, with… Read More
Built by the Ayer & Lord Marine Ways at Paducah, Ky., in 1918, the H.G. Hill was 165 feet long by 30 feet wide. The engines (12-inch cylinders with 6-foot… Read More
