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 Standard Celebrates A Centennial The Standard new at Marietta Manufacturing in 1923. (David Smith collection)

The Standard Celebrates A Centennial

December 26, 2023

For the last Old Boat column of 2023, I wanted to feature a boat that truly deserves recognition. Seldom does a vessel last for 100 years. The beautiful and celebrated… Read More

Monongahela: Among The Last Large Sternwheel Towboats The Monongahela as built and in service for Carnegie Illinois Steel. (David Smith collection)

The Monongahela as built and in service for Carnegie Illinois Steel. (David Smith collection)

Monongahela: Among The Last Large Sternwheel Towboats

December 18, 2023

By the mid-1920s, diesel-powered boats were becoming more numerous, but for the heavy jobs, such as towing steel products from Pittsburgh to points on the Lower Mississippi River, steam sternwheel… Read More

The DQ Once Hosted A Presidential Trip The Str. Delta Queen on the Upper Mississippi River in September 1981. (Capt. Mike Herschler photo)

The DQ Once Hosted A Presidential Trip

December 11, 2023

The recent passing of former first lady Rosalynn Carter brought to mind the fact that for a brief period in 1979 the overnight passenger steamer Delta Queen bore the unofficial… Read More

The Bull Calf Was One Of The Most Innovative Towboats Bull Calf shipyard portrait used in WJ ads by Nabrico, GM and Falk. (David Smith collection)

The Bull Calf Was One Of The Most Innovative Towboats

December 3, 2023

One of the most significant towboats built during the 1930s was a somewhat obscure small boat crafted by the Nashville Bridge Company (Nabrico) in 1939. It was only 88 feet… Read More

The Nashville B Saw A Lot Of River Territory New at Nashville. Note the packets H.G. Hill and Jo Horton Fall in the background. (Dan Owen Boat Photo Museum collection)

New at Nashville. Note the packets H.G. Hill and Jo Horton Fall in the background. (Dan Owen Boat Photo Museum collection)

The Nashville B Saw A Lot Of River Territory

November 27, 2023

In 1902, Arthur J. Dyer bought out his partner’s interests in the H.T. Sinnot Company and formed the Nashville Bridge & Construction Company. According to the Tennessee Encyclopedia, Dyer was… Read More

The Warren Hougland Had A Resurrection Of Sorts The Warren Hougland at Mile 412.3 Lower Mississippi River, August 23, 1973, emerging from the sand during salvage. (Dan Owen Boat Photo Museum collection)

The Warren Hougland at Mile 412.3 Lower Mississippi River, August 23, 1973, emerging from the sand during salvage. (Dan Owen Boat Photo Museum collection)

The Warren Hougland Had A Resurrection Of Sorts

November 20, 2023

In the last column we looked at the twin-screw towboat Dorothy H, built by Nashville Bridge in 1938 for Capt. Walter G. Hougland (later doing business as Walter G. Hougland… Read More

The Nashville-Built Dorothy H Became The Warren Hougland The official shipyard portrait of the Dorothy H used in Nashville Bridge Company ads in the WJ. (David Smith collection)

The official shipyard portrait of the Dorothy H used in Nashville Bridge Company ads in the WJ. (David Smith collection)

The Nashville-Built Dorothy H Became The Warren Hougland

November 12, 2023

In 1937, Capt. Walter G. Hougland contracted with the Nashville Bridge Company, Nashville, Tenn., for a new twin-screw diesel towboat. The Hougland fleet at this time consisted of two steam… Read More

The Sea Lion Towed Rafts and Built Locks Sea Lion in mouth of Big Sandy prior to 1910. (David Smith collection)

The Sea Lion Towed Rafts and Built Locks

November 3, 2023

In 1880 there was a small towboat built at Wheeling, W.Va., that would prove to have a very versatile career over the nearly 40 years that it existed. The sternwheel… Read More

A Modern Diesel Boat Followed The Alexander Mackenzie At MMC Official shipyard portrait in the Marietta Manufacturing Company ad in the WJ of October 14, 1939. (David Smith collection)

Official shipyard portrait in the Marietta Manufacturing Company ad in the WJ of October 14, 1939. (David Smith collection)

A Modern Diesel Boat Followed The Alexander Mackenzie At MMC

October 22, 2023

While the Marietta Manufacturing Company (MMC) was completing and outfitting the big steam towboat Alexander Mackenzie (WJ October 9) at its Point Pleasant, W.Va., shipyard, the first steel for the… Read More

First Oil Tow To Sioux City Kansas City Socony at Sioux City June 27, 1940. Photo from the WJ July 6, 1940, issue. (David Smith collection)

First Oil Tow To Sioux City

October 14, 2023

In the September 18, 2023, issue of The Waterways Journal, this column detailed the Kansas City Socony and mentioned that it had initiated the first oil tow into both Omaha,… Read More

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