In the early days of my river interest during the 1960s, it was my good fortune to become friends with Capt. Harris Underwood (1898-1982) who served as pilot of the… 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.
Well-known on the Ohio River was a pretty packet boat that was popular in the annals of steamboating. The Tell City was constructed in 1889 by the Howard Shipyard at… Read More
Happy New Year! Along with the onset of winter, we begin the first Old Boat Column of 2022 with a look back at Alton Slough, a narrow inlet on the… Read More
As most of the world celebrates the glory of Christmas and the coming of the new year this week, the Old Boat Column focuses upon several steamboat names with a… Read More
The Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind., built a trim sternwheeler in 1910 named Nashville to run in the Evansville–Nashville–Paducah trade for W.W. Parminter of Nashville, Tenn. The wood-hulled riverboat measured… Read More
Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was an American illusionist and stunt performer, famous for his sensational escape acts. His first appearances were on the vaudeville circuit in the United States and later… Read More
Another stellar product of the Howard Shipyard was the beautiful and large sidewheeler Indiana. Constructed on a wood hull measuring 285 feet in length by 45 feet in width, the… Read More
The last of a line of government steamboats to carry the name the Mississippi had an unusual beginning. A new steel hull, constructed by the Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind.,… Read More
The Howard Steamboat Museum at Jeffersonville, Ind., was recently the site of a riverboat model extravaganza. The museum proudly displays an excellent model of the steam towboat Chicot, the generous… Read More
The Marietta Manufacturing Company was started in 1852 by the W.F. Robinson Company at Marietta, Ohio. Initially constructing sailing vessels, the firm soon commenced building steam-propelled craft for commercial service… Read More
