In the last column, we looked at the Kansas City Socony, built by the Elliott-Fairfax Shipyard at Kansas City, Kan., in 1937. It was 125 by 32 (a typo 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.
Capt. Phil C. Elsey was one of the founders of the Sons & Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen. A group of river personages gathered at the Hotel Lafayette in Gallipolis, Ohio,… Read More
In the last column we looked at the Husky, built by F.W. Olcott at Paducah in 1937 as the initial vessel of the Upper Mississippi Towing Corporation. UMTC sold it… Read More
While the large steam sternwheel Jack Rathbone was under construction at the Marietta Manufacturing Company at Point Pleasant, W.Va., in 1937, a small diesel towboat was also being built at… Read More
We detailed the A.M. Scott in the April 10, 2023, issue of The Waterways Journal. This boat was an early steam twin-prop towboat, described in Way’s Steam Towboat Directory as… Read More
While new diesel-driven towboats were making headlines in the 1930s, steam power was still king, and several significant new steamers were built in the waning days of steam construction. The… Read More
After St. Louis Shipbuilding & Steel Company had delivered the streamlined J.H. Duffy (WJ, August 7), one would have thought that subsequent boats turned out by the yard would be… Read More
In the July 17 column regarding the Str. Transporter, mention was made of J. Mack Gamble’s Annual Review column that had appeared in the December 31, 1938, issue of The… Read More
I always appreciate hearing from readers regarding these columns. These “old boats” continue to stir memories that some may have not considered for years or make them think of items… Read More
In the years following World War II, there were several former military craft converted into river towing vessels. In thinking about the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway issue, this week’s subject came… Read More
