Sixty years ago this past week, on June 23, 1963, a sternwheel towboat race was held at Charleston, W.Va., in conjunction with the centennial celebrations for the state of West… 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.
Attending the Inland Marine Expo in Nashville, Tenn., recently, one of the highlights of the event was visiting with old friends. One of the first we ran into was marine… Read More
Last week in the June 5, 2023, issue of The Waterways Journal, it was noted in the “This Week (From back issues of the WJ)” column that 100 years ago… Read More
Two weeks ago, this column looked at a boat built by the Nashville Bridge Company, and last week we looked at a boat built at St. Louis. While this might… Read More
In 1932, a small, relatively insignificant towboat was launched at East St. Louis, Ill., by the St. Louis Structural Steel Company. It had a steel hull of 64 by 15.5… Read More
Early in the 20th century, a Philadelphia industrialist named Samuel Horner Jr. built a cement mill a short distance from the banks of the Ohio River and a few miles… Read More
In 1921, the Eichleay Contracting Company, Hays, Pa., constructed a very large steam sternwheel towboat at their yard located on the left bank of the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh. The… Read More
The James Rees & Sons Company, with origins dating back to 1848, operated at what is now the foot of Stanwix Street on the left bank of the Allegheny River… Read More
As indicated by several histories of the local area, the construction of boats and river equipment in or near the town of Dubuque, Iowa, dates to the 1850s. A firm… Read More
The Charles Ward Engineering Works, Charleston, W.Va., had experienced success with building tunnel-stern, propeller-driven towboats such as the James Rumsey of 1903 and the A.M. Scott of 1906. In 1915… Read More
