The recent passing of former first lady Rosalynn Carter brought to mind the fact that for a brief period in 1979 the overnight passenger steamer Delta Queen bore the unofficial… 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.
One of the most significant towboats built during the 1930s was a somewhat obscure small boat crafted by the Nashville Bridge Company (Nabrico) in 1939. It was only 88 feet… Read More
In 1902, Arthur J. Dyer bought out his partner’s interests in the H.T. Sinnot Company and formed the Nashville Bridge & Construction Company. According to the Tennessee Encyclopedia, Dyer was… Read More
In the last column we looked at the twin-screw towboat Dorothy H, built by Nashville Bridge in 1938 for Capt. Walter G. Hougland (later doing business as Walter G. Hougland… Read More
In 1937, Capt. Walter G. Hougland contracted with the Nashville Bridge Company, Nashville, Tenn., for a new twin-screw diesel towboat. The Hougland fleet at this time consisted of two steam… Read More
In 1880 there was a small towboat built at Wheeling, W.Va., that would prove to have a very versatile career over the nearly 40 years that it existed. The sternwheel… Read More
While the Marietta Manufacturing Company (MMC) was completing and outfitting the big steam towboat Alexander Mackenzie (WJ October 9) at its Point Pleasant, W.Va., shipyard, the first steel for the… Read More
In the September 18, 2023, issue of The Waterways Journal, this column detailed the Kansas City Socony and mentioned that it had initiated the first oil tow into both Omaha,… Read More
The August 6, 1938 issue of The Waterways Journal carried a small story on page 5 concerning A.C. Ingersoll accepting a position with a new company on the Illinois and… Read More
The question of exactly when a vessel becomes an “old boat” and a fit subject for this column has been addressed before, and it was touched on specifically in the… Read More