According to riverman-historian Capt. Fred Way (1901–1992), the steamer Tacoma holds the record for being the longest-living packet boat to remain in operation without a name change or alteration in… 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.
Laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll! With Mardi Gras being celebrated in New Orleans tomorrow (March 5) you can be sure that a festive atmosphere pervades… Read More
This week, the Old Boat Column presents an image that is a recent acquisition to this curator’s collection. The first of two successively-built sidewheelers named Bonanza, the steamboat was built… Read More
Named for the mayor of Little Rock, Ark., the J.A. Woodson was built at Louisville, Ky., in 1881. According to the U.S. List of Merchant Vessels, the boat was constructed… Read More
The sternwheeler Joe Fowler was built at Jeffersonville, Ind., by the Howard Shipyard in 1888 for the Fowler family. Built at a contract cost of $20,800, it was designed to… Read More
It is often mentioned in this column that many steamboats utilized engines, boilers and other machinery that had seen service on a previous vessel. This week, we present the tale… Read More
Named for an iron industrialist at Nashville, Tenn., and owned by the Ryman Line, the handsome sternwheeler J.P. Drouillard was a product of the Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind. Constructed… Read More
Every boat has a beginning and an ending. This week’s Old Boat Column presents a vignette of a vessel whose history both began and ended at Pittsburgh. The sternwheeler Mayflower,… Read More
This week’s Old Boat Column takes us for a visit to the Cincinnati wharf. In this serene image, taken from the stern of the excursion steamer Island Queen, we see,… Read More
Happy New Year! Now that winter is officially here, we begin the Old Boat Column for 2019 with a frigid photo. Taken in the mouth of the frozen Muskingum River,… Read More
