There have been steamboats and towboats named for presidents of the United States. Toward the end of the steam and paddlewheel era, there was a Mississippi River train ferry named,… Read More
steamboat
The sternwheeler Joe Fowler was built at Jeffersonville, Ind., by the Howard Shipyard in 1888 for the Fowler family. Built at a contract cost of $20,800, it was designed to… Read More
The cabin of the Chris Greene decorated for Christmas. (Keith Norrington collection) River historian and WJ correspondent Virginia Bennett (1924–2013) loved to reminisce about her favorite steamboat, the Chris Greene… Read More
December 4, 2018, will go down as one of the most significant dates ever for the 91-year-old Delta Queen Steamboat. That’s the date President Donald Trump signed into law the… Read More
The nation’s last authentic overnight steamboat may once again cruise the rivers of America’s heartland and deep south. On November 27, the U.S. House of Representatives reinstated an exemption to… Read More
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 at least… 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. Louis railroad… 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 a… 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 1859 at… 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 (24-inch… Read More
