As the true age of diesel towboats was dawning in the late 1920s, just a few shipyards were building larger towboats of that type. Charles Ward Engineering Works at… 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.
In detailing the century-old sternwheeler Standard in the last column, mention was made that it was sold in 1939 after the original owner, Sohio Petroleum Company (Standard Oil), had… Read More
For the last Old Boat column of 2023, I wanted to feature a boat that truly deserves recognition. Seldom does a vessel last for 100 years. The beautiful… Read More
By the mid-1920s, diesel-powered boats were becoming more numerous, but for the heavy jobs, such as towing steel products from Pittsburgh to points on the Lower Mississippi River, steam… Read More
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… Read More
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… 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… 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… 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… 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
