Old Boat Column

My hometown of New Albany, Ind., founded in 1813 along the Ohio River, is widely known by river historians as the birthplace of the famous steamboats Eclipse, Robt. E. Lee… Read More

For a contract cost of $40,900, the beautiful sidewheeler Tarascon was constructed on a wooden hull 250 feet in length by 38 feet in width at Jeffersonville, Ind., in 1863… Read More

The Rob’t. E. Lee was built at New Albany, Ind., in 1866, at what was known as the lower yard of Dewitt Hill. A wooden-hulled sidewheeler measuring 285 feet in… Read More

Of the many beautiful steamboats owned by the famed Anchor Line, all were sidewheelers save for one. Built at a cost of $36,500 by the Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind.,… Read More

Undoubtedly taken from the Eads Bridge, this week’s Old Boat Column image presents a busy scene at St. Louis in 1903. Spread Eagle In the foreground is the steamer Spread… Read More

On January 21, the river fraternity lost one of its most dedicated and notable members with the passing, at age 106, of Mary Ackerman Otte, of Quincy, Ill. She was… Read More

Happy New Year! We begin the Old Boat Column for 2020 with one of the beautiful steamboats operated by the famous Diamond Jo Line, the steamer Quincy. Built at Dubuque,… Read More

In 1910, the Howard Shipyards at Jeffersonville built a trim sternwheeler named Nashville to run in the Evansville–Nashville–Paducah trade for W.W. Parminter of Nashville, Tenn. The wood-hulled riverboat measured 155… Read More

This week, the Old Boat Column presents a photo of the Falls City. Built in 1898 at Cincinnati for the Louisville & Kentucky River Packet Company, the sternwheeler ran between… Read More

Built in 1902 by the Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind., the Stacker Lee was owned by the famous Lee Line of Memphis. Constructed at a cost of $21,600 on a… Read More