This week, the Old Boat Column journeys up the Missouri River to the historic river town of Hermann. This scene shows a typical day along the waterfront during… 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.
An attractive steamboat that was important to travel and commerce on the Ohio River in the early 1900s was the Oriole. The history of this vessel dates back… Read More
This towboat was originally built as the William G. Clyde. Constructed at Ambridge, Pa., in 1922 by the American Bridge Company, the vessel was completed at the Coal Valley… Read More
This week, the Old Boat Column presents an unusual image. The packets Bald Eagle (left) and Saint Louis are engaged in the transfer of freight at a St. Read More
Built by the Barmore yard at Jeffersonville, Ind., the sternwheeler Saint John began operating in 1878. The wooden hull measured 176.6 feet in length by 36.2 feet in… Read More
The Sadie Downman, which was typical of the small towboats that ran on southern rivers, was built in 1899. Records show that the steamboat was first inspected at… Read More
Noted for being one of few riverboats to have an octagonal pilothouse, the Phil Sheridan was built for a cost of $80,000 in 1865 at Cincinnati, Ohio. Constructed on… Read More
The sidewheeler Silver Moon was unique for several reasons. The boat was built specifically to fit into the short locks of the Louisville & Portland Canal. Constructed in… Read More
Built in 1896 at Madison, Ind., the wooden hull of the towboat Gleaner measured 185 feet in length by 35 feet in width. Five boilers supplied steam to engines… Read More
It has often been said that no steamboat that ran in the Fort Benton trade had a more varied or interesting career than the Josephine. The wooden hull—measuring… Read More
