Mississippi and Ohio Rivers Paddle Steamers

paddlesteamers.info : The Internet's leading website for Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers

Mississippi River System (USA)

Unlike the north-east of the USA where side-wheel paddle steamers prevailed, the rest of the country is associated with stern-wheelers. The mighty Mississippi River, running north to south through the centre of the continent, and its tributary the Ohio River were particular strongholds. Shallows, snags and shifting sandbanks all called for boats with the shallowest of draughts and paddle wheels protected behind the vessel's hulls were also preferable with floating logs a particular hazard. Sternwheelers, even if of modern construction and with diesel engines, remain popular today for tourist work and the historic steam paddler Natchez and the more recently-built steamer City of Louisville are icons at New Orleans and Louisville respectively.

The first steamboat to navigate the Ohio and Mississippi rivers was the side-wheeler New Orleans in September 1811. A replica was built to repeat its journey from Pittsburgh to New Orleans for its centenary in 1912. On arrival in New Orleans, the replica was sold to its captain and converted to screw operation with a petrol engine.

A number of side wheelers with several surviving into the twentieth century and a limited number of further new builds. The sidewheelers were very similar in general style to the sternwheelers, with a particularly shallow draught and low freeboard. In many cases, steamers could draw up at riverbanks without proper wharf facilities and lower their broad gangplanks, often located at the ship's bow, to the shore for loading and unloading of small cargoes, packets and passengers. The entire main deck was normally unenlosed and used as cargo space. This style was considerably different to the style of ships developed in the Eastern USA.Builders persisted with wooden hulls and upperworks with the attendant risk of fire and in more northerly areas, winter ice which crushed many ships during their off-season lay-ups.

Sidewheelers were also used as ferries on river crossings. In 1900, they could be found in particular at Memphis, Louisville, St Louis and New Orleans.

On the Mississippi River system the US Government owned numerous snag boats and vessels used by the Corps of Engineers to "improve" the waterways for shipping and flood control. As well as "snag boats" which helped clear the waterways, engineers used boats in in their work to canalise and straighten the river course and in the more upper reaches to build dams and locks. Some of these vessels were side wheelers. One was to become an excursion ship after being sold by the government.

The Mississippi flows from northern Wisconsin close to the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana, a total of 2320 miles (3730 km). In 1900 the most northerly based side-wheelers were at St Paul MI, the normal head of navigation at that time, some 495 miles downstream of the source. Other significant bases as the river runs south were at St Louis MO and Memphis TN. Further south in the Lower Mississippi a paddle steamer was based at Vicksburg MS and while the city of New Orleans was strong stern-wheeler territory, a more traditional "eastern style" steamer operated on the adjoining Lake Pontchartrain. The Ohio River joins the Mississippi upstream of Memphis, flowing through the major paddle steamer bases of Pittsburgh PA (from where services extended up the Monongahela River), Cincinnati OH and Louisville KY. There was also a significant side-wheel operator on the Illinois River between Peoria IL and La Salle IL.

Paddle Steamers normally worked for packet transportation companies on limited stretches of the rivers with the companies' names often reflecting the end points of the route served, such as the Pittsburgh, Brownsville & Geneva Packet Company. They carried light cargoes and passengers and often had US Mail contracts. In the absence of railways, rivers were the easiest means of transport. Passengers were transported in staterooms on many services which included overnight runs due to the distances involved. Steamships increasingly lost business to the expanding railway networks and had lost most of their traditional busines by the time that good quality roads were built and motor vehicles became commonplace. Pure excursion services were rare before the turn of the twentieth century but developed quickly. One notable new market was to ferry people from the cities to the nearby amusement parks which were springing up across the US. The owners of Coney Island, near Cincinnati OH, and Rose Island, near Louisville KY, ran their own steamboats to handle the crowds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_River
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamboats_of_the_Mississippi

The majority of ships listed were built by the Howard family at their shipyard in Jeffersonville IN
http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/19thcentury/howard.htm and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffboat

The photographs used are believed to be in the public domain due to their age and have widespread reproduction on the internet but will be removed on request by the genuine copyright holder of any post 1925 photos. All images are used for educational purposes only. My thanks to those who have previously posted these images of North American paddle steamers

Side-Wheel Passenger Paddle Steamers in operation in 1900

These are listed with their official number, their name and port of registry as at June 1900 and grouped geographically

Mississippi River

126101 City of St Louis (1873 at St Louis MO)
125830 City of Providence (1880 at St Louis MO)
126458 Hill City (1887 at St Louis MO) later Corwin H Spencer
086204 Grey Eagle (1892 at St Louis MO)
020611 Quincy (1896 at St Louis MO, later JS)
130617 Spread Eagle (1897 at St Louis MO)
081652 War Eagle (1899 at St Louis MO later Cape Girardeau)

014485 Dewey (1889 at Memphis TN) ex- Kate Adams and later Lotus Sims
161116 Kate Adams (1899 at Memphis TN)
077293 James Lee (1893 at Memphis TN)
111164 Robert E Lee (1897 at Memphis TN)

003746 Belle of the Bends (1898 at Vicksburg MS)

125932 Chalmette (1881 at New Orleans LA)

Three paddle steamers for offshore passenger use were registered at New Orleans LA to Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad & Steamship Company

005456 Clinton (1863)
017651 Morgan (1865)
080173 Whitney (1871)

Lake Pontchartrain

130111 New Camelia (1878 at New Orleans)

Ohio River

076293 James G Blaine (1882 at Pittsburgh)
106376 Adam Jacobs (1885 at Pittsburgh PA)
100658 IC Woodward (1898 at Pittsburgh PA, later Virginia, City of Charleston)
135981 Elizabeth (1888 at Pittsburgh)
127314 City of Pittsburg (1899 at Pittsburgh PA)
121123 Francis J Torrance (1900 at Pittsburgh, later Princess)

008312 Bonanza (1885 at Cincinnati OH)
127023 City of Louisville (1894 at Cincinnati OH)
100610 Island Queen (1896 at Cincinnati OH)
127325 City of Cincinnati (1899 at Cincinnati OH)

116210 Sunshine (1888 at Louisville KY)
126864 Columbia (1892 at Louisville KY)

New Build Side-Wheel Passenger Paddle Steamers in the 20th Century

121154 Fred Swain (1900)
100717 Indiana (1900) later America
141669 Liberty (1900)
093120 Morning Star (1901)
127683 Columbia (1902)
200094 Saint Paul (1903)
200958 Hiawatha (1904)
203258 David Swain (1906)
204109 Alton 1906
204740 Erastus Wells (1907) later City of St Louis
204174 Kabekona (1907)
209025 Spread Eagle (1911)
211462 Charles E Cessna (1913) later Julia Belle Swain
211179 Verne Swain (1913)
223580 Cincinnati (1924) later President
224551 Island Queen (1925)

Paddle Steamers converted for passenger use :

200768 Louisiana (1903) ex US Lighthouse tender Joseph Henry built in 1880, sailed at Bluff City then Memphis until wrecked in 1914 as Pattona
222511 Ursie Boyce (1920) later City of Cairo. ex US snag boat David Tipton built in 1900, ex- Col A Mackenzie
204086 Admiral (1940) ex steam paddle ferry Albatross built in 1907 for the Louisiana & Mississippi Railroad

Major operating areas, companies and associated vessels
Vessel names and dates shown as they were when with those companies

St Paul, Missouri

Small harbour ferry

200958 Hiawatha (1904-1918)

St Louis, Missouri

St Louis, Davenport and St Paul Line was part of the Diamond Jo Line, established by Joseph Reynolds (1819-91) and extant until sold in 1911.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_%22Diamond_Jo%22_Reynolds

020611 Quincy (1896-1911) later JS
200094 St Paul (1903-1911)

Streckfus Steamers Inc, owned by John Streckfus (1856-1925), an already established packet transporting company would guide the steamers into a future of excursion work once the railways had taken over most of the ships' traditional business. Sternwheeler the first JS (built in 1901) is regarded as the first purpose-built excursion ship on the Mississippi. In 1911 Sreckfus significantly expanded their business by purchasing the fleet of steamers of the Diamond Jo Line including the side-wheelers Quincy and St Paul. In 1932 they were running a fleet of five steamers : JS, St Paul and Cincinnati, plus sternwheelers Capitol and Washington. The Streckfus business operated until 1978
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streckfus_Steamers

020611 JS (1911 ex- Quincy)
200094 St Paul (1911-
223580 Cincinnati (1932-1981, later President)
204086 Admiral (1940-1979)

Eagle Packet Company (formerly the St Louis and Alton Daily Packet Co) was based at Alton and ran a number of sternwheelers in the packet trade until 1927. Their Golden Eagle of 1906 (ex- William Garig) was then converted into an overnight excursion boat and survived until sinking in 1947

086204 Grey Eagle (1892-
130617 Spread Eagle (1897-1910) ex- New Idlewild
081652 War Eagle (1899-1910) Renamed Cape Girardeau ion 1901 after being rebuilt after a fire. Sank in 1910
204109 Alton (1906-1918)
209025 Spread Eagle (1911-1918)

Independents formerly in the fleet of the defunct Anchor Line

The Memphis & St Louis Steam Packet Company was founded in 1859 and later became known as the Anchor Line. It went into liquidation in 1898 and amongst its fleet were City of St Louis, City of Providence and Hill City (ex- City of Vicksburg). In 1900 they were still registered at St Louis with private excursion operators. City of Vicksburg had been sold in 1894 to the Columbia Excursion Company before being damaged in the tornado of 27th May 1896. Bought, rebuilt and renamed Chalmette by her new private operator in New Orleans.

126101 City of St Louis (1873)
125830 City of Providence (1880)
125932 Chalmette (1881) ex - City of Vicksburg : Operating out of New Orleans LA in 1900
126458 Hill City, ex- City of Monroe (1887)

The machinery of the dismantled Anchor Line steamer City of New Orleans (1881) was used in the new 127314 City of Pittsburg (1899)

The City of St Louis operated its own harbour boat until withdrawn as an economy measure in 1932 during the Great Depression

008965 City of Saint Louis later Mark Twain (1902-1907)
204740 Erastus Wells (1907-1932) later City of Saint Louis

St Louis Excursion and Packet Co offered excursions in the St Louis area

003746 Belle of the Bends (1912-1918)

Edwin C Koenig was a wealthy boating enthusiast, one time Commodore of Louisville Yacht Club and promoter of events relating to the river. He took over St Louis' harbour boat to offer local excursions

204740 City of Saint Louis (1932-1947) ex- Erastus Wells)

New City of Cairo Excursion Company

222511 City of Cairo (1923-1940) ex- Ursie Boyce

Peoria and La Salle, Illinois

David Swain Engineering Works : Trading as the La Salle & Peoria Packet : "The Royal Line". David Swain (1841-1918) was a boat builder and engineer from Illinois who had set up his engineering works in Stillwater, Minnesota. He operated steamers on the St Croix and Mississippi Rivers. They built vessels, both stern and side-wheelers, on their own account and operated them for a number of years, inluding on excursion work, before selling them on and building new.
The company dated back to 1867 when a marine engine repair works was established. The first boat, stern-wheeler Percy Swain of 1881 has an innovative cross-mounted engine.
David's sons Percy, Verne and Fred were also steamboat captains and based back in Illinois, giving excursion cruises on the illinois River.
The Engine Works was sold after the death of David, ironically during a delivery voyage of Verne Swain of 1913, the third of that name, to a new owner at Pittsburgh. The Packet business was wound up by 1922 and the remaining excursion business in 1924 after the death of David's widow.

Note : A new sternwheeler named Julia Belle Swain was built in 1971 using the hull, recovered steam engines and parts of the superstructure of the 1915-built ferry City of Baton Rouge and was the final boat built by Dubuque Boat and Boiler Works. Initially sailing out of Peoria it operated in several places until laid up in after her 2008 season. It was sold in 2013 to the Julia Belle Swain Foundation for renovation. Julia Belle Swain was Captain Percy Swain's daughter.

121154 Fred Swain (1900-1909)
203258 David Swain (1906-1922)
211179 Verne Swain (1913-1918) later Rose Island, Roosevelt, City of Memphis
211462 Julia Belle Swain (1916-1924) ex- Charles E Cessna

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Brownsville and Geneva Packet Co traces its roots back to 1844. Amongst the directors and captains were Adam Jacobs and I C Woodward. It became the Pittsburgh, Brownsville & Geneva after taking over the Peoples Line in 1868. In 1902 it became the Pittsburgh. Brownsville & Morgantown Packet Co after taking over the Mason Line. Packet services went as far as Fairmont

076293 James G Blaine (1882-1901)
107376 Adam Jacobs (1885-xxxx)
100658 IC Woodward (1898-1913) later Virginia and City of Charleston
127683 Columbia (1902-1910)

Pittsburgh & Elizabeth Company had a fairly comfortable existence on the short run up the Monongahela River to Elizabeth PA until 1900 when their steamer Elizabeth was laid up. For 1902 season, the newly-formed Monongahela River Packet Company reactivated the ship in a short-lived attempt to compete for business to Morgantown with the larger Pittsburgh, Brownsville & Mogantown Company

135981 Elizabeth (1888-1900 and 1902 for the new company)

Monongahela and Ohio River Transportation Company

121123 Francis J Torrance (1900-1905)

127314 City of Pittsburg (1899)

Captain W McNally offered short excursions from Pittsburgh from 1907 to 1920

016210 Sunshine (1907-1920) later Princess

Penn Excursion Company ran excursions from 1924 to 1931

211462 Julia Belle Swain (1924-1931)

Rees family operated the Memphis & Arkansas's Kate Adams at Pittsburgh from 1924 to 1926. In January 1924 they advertised journeys from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, leaving on a Wednesday morning and arriving at Cincinatti on Saturday morning. After allowing time for sightseeing, she returned on Saturday evening to arrive back on Wednesday morning. She offered 102 staterooms over two decks. Fine dining could accommodate 250 persons per sitting. Concerts were given aboard and dancing in the evenings.

161116 Kate Adams (1925-26)

Cincinnati, Ohio & Louisville, Kentucky

Approximately 100 miles separates the two cities on the Ohio River.
The Louisville & Cincinatti Packet Company had dominated the route between the two cities since the 1860s. The loss of two of their paddle steamers to ice in 1918 led to a collapse and takeover of the business by other interests which continued the service until 1933

008312 Bonanza (1885-
172034 City of Louisville (1894-1918)
127325 City of Cincinnati (1899-1918)
100717 Indiana (1901-1924) later America
223580 Cincinnati (1924-1933) later President

The Coney Island Amusement Park close to Cincinnati and on the Ohio River dated back to 1870 and grew rapidly. The owners invested in large paddle steamers to transport their visitors to the park. The paddle steamer age came to a close after the loss of their second Island Queen in 1947. The park still exists but now as a water park with the other rides now closed or relocated elsewhere.

100610 Island Queen (1896-1922)
121123 Princess (1906-1918) ex Francis J Torrance
224551 Island Queen (1925-1947)

The River Excursion Company operated river excursions at Cincinnati

116218 Sunshine (1920-1927) Renamed Princess in 1923
100717 America (1925-1930)

Louisville & Evansville Packet Company

093120 Morning Star (1901-1922)

Louisville & Jeffersonville Ferry Company / Rose Island Excursion Company
Louisville had its own highly popular amusement park, located just upstream of the city at Charleston. Known from the 1880s as Fern Grove, the owners established the Louisville and Jeffersonville Ferry Company to bring customers to what started out primarily as a picnicing area. In 1923 the park was bought by David Rose and it was greatly expanded into a fun park with various rides and attractions. The complex was named Rose Island and due to the continued poor accessibility of the riverside location, also used paddle steamers to get people to the park. Devastating floods at the end of January 1937 brought the park's life to an end.
Rose also operated stern-wheelers, including Idlewild of 1914. This ship later became Belle of Louisville which still operates today owned by the City of St Louis. https://belleoflouisville.org/belle-of-louisville/

116410 Sunshine (1888-1907) later Princess

211779 Rose Island (1927-1928 and City of Memphis 1931-32 ) ex- Verne Swain

Memphis, Tennessee

The Memphis & Arkansas Packet Company (Memphis, Helena & Rosedale Packet Company from 1919) ran two overnight return trips per week from Memphis to Arkansas City AR. The company name was changed in 1919 to reflect the route serving Rosedale MS. From 1922 it was extended to Greenville MS when the Rosedale mail service was lost to competitors the Lee Line

161116 Kate Adams (1898-1924)

The Lee Line was established by Captain James Lee in 1857 to link Friars Point with memphis. It became a major player on the stretch of the Mississippi between Memphis and St Louis but railway competition had forced them to contract their horizon to more local runs and turn to excursion work. Most of their fleet was stern-wheelers named after family members. The business folded in 1917

077293 James Lee (1893-1918)
111164 Robert E Lee (1897-1904)

Vicksburg

Vicksburg & Greenville Packet Company

003476 Belle of the Bends (1898-1910)

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is regarded as a stronghold of sternwheel paddle steamers, epitomised by the Natchez which is still in operation today. Side wheel paddle steamers would on occasion visit New Orleans on trips from the upper reaches of the Mississippi basin or to spend time looking for business.

John T Hardy & Sons bough the severely storm-damaged City of Vicksburg from operators in St Louis MO and rebuilt the ship, giving her a new name

125932 Chalmette (1897-1902)

The last local sidewheeler did not sail on the Mississippi River which runs through New Orleans, but on Lake Pontchartrain, on which the city itself lies.
New Camelia's design is not of the Mississippi River type but similar to paddle steamers of the eastern USA, reflecting the different operating environment

130111 New Camelia (1878-1916)

Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad & Steamship Company was a vision of the Southern Pacific Railway absorbed in 1885 as part of on-going railway consolidation and hastened by the death of Charles Morgan in 1878. Morgan was one of the US's leading steamship and railroad tycoons with wide interests in many branches of industry. From the mid-1800s he is credited with the opening up and development of much of the southern parts of the USA. His steamship interests encompassed towage, local and international services, including regular services to New York City and the eastern seaboard from the Gulf of Mexico. These services were initially operated by paddle steamers, but were early in being converted to screw steamers. Being so well-known and popular, the Southern Pacific retained the Morgan name for many of its operations and the Morgan Line of steamers continued to develop as a major force well into the twentieth century
It is unclear what roles the two remaining paddle steamers on the register as offshore passenger ships in 1900 had. Both Clinton (1863) and Morgan (1865) were registed at New Orleans. They remained registered to the Morgan operation until 1906 when each was registered separately at Tampa FL

Clinton
004565 JCMV
Built in 1863 at Wilmington DE
Wood 220 x 34.5 ft 1187 GT

Morgan
017651 JCNB
Built in 1865 at Wilmington DE
Wood 219.9 x 33.1 ft 994 GT

Side-Wheel Paddle Steamers Operating in the Twentieth Century

Arranged in alphabetical order by name in 1900 or the name first used for ships built afterwards

Adam Jacobs (1885-xxxx)
106376
Built at Pittsburgh PA
Wood 162.2 x 28 ft 268 GT
Operated by the Pittsburgh, Brownsville & Geneva Packet Co

Admiral (1940-1979)
204086
Built in 1907 at Dubuque IA as steam paddle ferry Albatross for the Louisiana & Mississippi Railroad
Steel 365 x 53.8 ft 1313 GT as Albatross
Withdrawn after the construction of a bridge over the Mississippi at Vicksburg MS in 1930
Reconstructed as a passenger excursion ship in 1940 with modern streamlined styling
Converted to diesel and screw propulsion in 1973
Withdrawn in 1979 due to problems with the hull
Sold and refitted as an entertainment complex, opening in 1987
Scrapped in 2011
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Admiral_(1907)

Above : Admiral in 2010, shortly before being scrapped showing her 1940 streamlined styling

Alton (1906-1918)
204109
Built at Jeffersonville
Wood 241 x 38 ft 800 GT
Eagle Packet Co at St Louis
Lost in ice at Paducah KY on 29th January 1918

Photo above : University of Missouri. St Louis Digital Library. Public Domain

Belle of the Bends (1898-1918)
003746
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 210 x 32.6 ft 405 GT
Vicksburg & Greenville Packet Company
Sank at Peeler's landing in 1909 but raised and repaired
Sank again in February 1910 and raised
Used for excursions for the St Louis Excursion and Packet Co at St Louis MO from 1912 until 1918.

Photo above : Detroit Publishing Co 1906. Public Domain

.
Bonanza (1885)
008312
Built at Cincinnati OH
Wood 267.5 x 42.8 ft 741 GT
Operated for the White Collar Line
Dismantled in 1909
Photo : Cincinnatti Historical Society

Chalmette (1881) ex - City of Vicksburg
125932
Built in 1881 at Jeffersonville IN
Iron 272 x 44.5 ft 1430 GT
Built as City of Vicksburg for the Memphis & St Louis Steam Packet Company (Anchor Line)
Sold in 1894 to an independent excursion cruise operator
Severley damaged in a tornado in 1896
Rebuilt by a new owner John T Hardy, taken to New Orleans LA and renamed Chalmette
Sank in 1904

Charles E Cessna (1913-1931) later Julia Belle Swain
211462
Built at Santa Rosa FL as Charles E Cessna
Wood 169 x 34.4 Compound Oscillating engine 12 and 24 in x 84 in
Ran three daily return trips from Pensacola FL to Santa Rosa a beach area developed by Charles E Cessna
In 1914 undertook excursion business out of Mobile AL
In 1915 it was running freight services between Pensacola and Freeport FL
Renovated and renamed Julia Belle Swain in 1916 when repossessed by the Swain family (the building consultants)
Ran excursion services on the Illinois River frm Peoria IL
In 1924 the Penn Excursion Company was formed to operate the ship out of Pittsburgh PA
Withdrawn from service after the 1931 season and burned out on 2nd December that year on the Mongahela River

Cincinnati (1924-1981, later President)
223580
Built at Midland PA
Steel 285 x 45.6 ft 1056 GT Engine 22 x 40 in x 108 in non-condensing by Charles Barnes of Cincinnati OH
Built for the Louisville & Cincinatti Packet Company
Transferred to the Streckfus Fleet at St Louis in 1933. Rebuilt and renamed President
Converted to diesel with screw propulsion in 1978
Sold in 1981 to the New Orleans Steamboat Co running excursions until 1990
Latterly used as a floating casino at Davenport Iowa. She lost her passenger certificate in 2000
Moored at various places such as Montpelier, Vicksburg and Memphis
Hauled on to land at St Elmo IL (not far from St Louis) in 2009 but left to deteriorate
Dismantled but not fully removed
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989 this designation was withdrawn in 2011
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_(1924_steamboat)
https://steamboats.com/museum/thepresident.html

Above : Cincinnati in her early days : Below : As Presdent

City of Cincinnati (1899-1918)
127325
Built by Howard at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 300 x 38 ft 816 GT Engine 26 x 120 in (ex- City of Hickman 1890-1896)
Built for the Louisville & Cincinatti Packet Company
Destroyed by ice on 30th January 1918 at Cincinnati

City of Louisville (1894-1918)
172034
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 301 x 42.7 ft 1681 GT
Built for the Louisville & Cincinatti Packet Company
The vessel was noted for her speed : a record 9 hours and 42 minutes upstream from Louisville to Cincinnati on 18th April 1894
On April 5th 1896 she posted a record time for the downstream run : 5 hours and 58 minutes
Destroyed by ice in the winter of 1918 at Cincinnati

City of Pittsburg (1899-1902)
127314
Built in 1899 at Marietta OH
Wood 292.7 x 48.8 ft 1043 GT
Much of her equipment was sourced from the scrapped City of New Orleans (1881) of the Memphis & St Louis S P Co (Anchor Line)
Lost to fire near Cairo IL early in the morning of 20th April 1902 with around half of the estimated 150 aboard killed

City of Providence (1880-1910)
125380
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 273.7 x 44.5 ft 1303 GT
Built for the Memphis & St Louis Steam Packet Company (Anchor Line)
Sold in 1898 for excursion work at St Louis
Destroyed by ice in 1910

City of Saint Louis (1873-1907 ex Elon G Smith, later Mark Twain)
008965
Built in 1873 at Madison IN as Elon G Smith
Used at St Louis to clean the levee and steamboat landings
City of St Louis harbour boat Mark Twain from 1902-1907

City of Saint Louis (1883-1903)
126101
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 300 x 49 ft 1614 GT
Memphis & St Louis Steam Packet Company (Anchor Line) until the company folded in 1898
Sold for excursion work out and included in this was New Orleans. She changed ownership frequently
Burned during lay-up at Carondolet near St Louis on 29th October 1903

Columbia (1902-1910)
127683
Built at Brownsville
Wood 172 x 48 ft 332 GT
Fitted with the engine recovered from James G Blaine
Lost to fire at Moss Side Landing, PA on 17th February 1910

David Swain (1906-
203258
Built at Stillwater MN
Wood 136.6 x 26 ft 146 GT
Operated at Peoria IL for David Swain
Served as flagship for President Theodore Roosevelt's trip on the Mississippi in 1906
Sold in 1922 to sail between Vicksburg LA and Natchez LA for Captain George Prince
Scrapped at Vidalia LA

Elizabeth (1888-1904)
135981
Built at Belle Vernon and West Brownsville
Wood 166 x 26.9 ft 340 GT
Ran on the Pittsburgh and Elizabeth route until 1900
Purchased out of lay-up by the newly formed Monongahela River Packet to compete for business on the route to Morgantown in 1902
Sold privately in 1903 and tied up at Pittsburgh
Burnt out on 24th January 1904 when the ship she was tied up alongside set on fire.

Erastus Wells (1907-1946, later City of Saint Louis)
204740
Built at Grafton IL
Steel 188.5 x 32.2 ft 541 GT
Engines ex Mark Twain (1873-1907)
Replaced Mark Twain at the City's harbour Boat
Sold to Edwin C Koenig in 1932 and renamed City of St Louis
Removed from the register in 1946

Above : As Erastus Wells.

Francis J Torrance (1900-1918)
121123
Built at Marietta OH
Wood 211.5 x 34 ft 667 GT
Built for the Monongahela and Ohio River Transportation Company
Sold in late 1905 to the Coney Island Company in Cincinnati and renamed Princess
Destroyed by ice on 18th January 1918 at Carrollton KY

Fred Swain (1900-1919)
121154
Built at Stillwater MN
Wood 142 x 28.3 124 GT
Operated at Peoria IL for David Swain
Registered 1905 at St Paul MN
Burned out 20th August 1909 and remained part submerged at Mile 166 near Peoria for at least 60 years

Grey Eagle (1892-1918)
086204
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 250 x 40 ft 555 GT

Hiawatha (1904-1918)
200958
Built in 1904 at St Paul MI
Wood 95 x 18 ft 92 GT

Hill City (1887-1905)
126458
Built in 1887 at Jeffersonville IN
Originally named City of Monroe
Renamed Hill City in 1896 after being substantially rebuilt after damage in a tornado
Sailed for the Memphis & St Louis Steam Packet Company (Anchor Line) until the company folded in 1898
Sold to a private excursion operator
Sank in 1900 but rebuilt and renamed Corwin H Spencer
Destroyed by fire on 12th October 1905

Above : As Hill City
Below : As Corwin H Spencer after her rebuild

IC Woodward (1898-1921, later Virginia, City of Charleston)
100658
Built at Brownsville PA
Wood 164 x 42 ft 282 GT
Operated between Pittsburgh PA and Morgantown WV on the Monongahela River operated by the Pittsburgh, Brownsville & Geneva Packet Co
Sold in 1913 for conversion to an excursion boat out of New Albany IN and renamed Virginia
Moved to Charleston WV on the Kanawha River in 1919 and was renamed City of Charleston but remained registered at Pittsburgh
Destroyed by fire on 21st May 1921 at Gallipolis OH on the Ohio River whilst awaiting reboilering
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I._C._Woodward

Indiana (1901- 1930, rebuilt as America in 1917)
100717
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 285 x 48 ft 836 GT
Built for the Louisville & Cincinatti Packet Company
Burned in 1916
Reconstructed and renamed America
Sailed for the River Excursion Co of Cincinnati from 1925-1930
Burned at Jeffersonville IN in the winter of 1930

Island Queen (1896-1922)
100610
Built at Cincinnati OH
Wood 281.4 x 42.6 ft 1446 GT
Sailed for the Coney Island Amusement Park at Cincinnati
Destroyed by fire on 4th November 1922 at Cincinnati
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Queen
http://coneyislandcentral.com/history/island-queen/

Island Queen (1925-1947)
224551
Built at Midland PA
Steel 286.1 x 45.6 ft 986 GT Oil burning
Owned by Coney Island (under new ownership since shortly after the loss of the earlier Island Queen)
Explosion and fire destroyed the ship on 9th September 1947 at Cincinnati. 19 crew members died.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Queen
https://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/thedigs/2013/01/28/tragic-explosion-on-excursion-steamer-island-queen/

James G Blaine (1882-1901)
076293
Built at Pittsburgh PA
Wood 162 x 34 ft 297 GT
Operated by the Pittsburgh, Brownsville & Geneva Packet Co
After various sinking events she was retird from service after the 1901 season
She was eventually beached at Brownsville and dismantled. her engine was used in the new Columbia

James Lee (1893-1918)
077293
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 204 x 36 ft 569 GT
Crushed by ice at Memphis in January 1918

Kabekona (1907-xxxx)
204174
Built at Stillwater, Missouri
112.6 x 22.5 ft 148 GT

Kate Adams (1889-1903) later Dewey and Lotus Sims
014485
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 240 x 66 ft 865 GT
Built for the Memphis & Arkansas Packet Co
Sold and renamed Dewey in 1898
Sailed between Memphis and New Orleans
Sold in 1902 and renamed Lotus Sims, registered at St Louis MO
Burned on 28th October 1903 at St Louis MO

Kate Adams (1898-1927)
161116
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Steel 240 x 40 ft 895 GT
Built for the Memphis & Arkansas Packet Co to relace Kate Adams of 1889
Sailed out of Pittsburgh for the Rees family from 1924 to 1926, returning to Memphis after the 1926 season
Burned at Memphis on 28th January 1927
Her hull was recovered and converted to a barge
Sank off President's Island at Memphis in a gale in 1931 whilst carrying a full load of cotton bales

Liberty (1900-1913)
141669
Built at Middleport, OH in 1900
128.4 x 20.5 ft 68 GT
Originally owned by a group of steamboat captains, she was sold to the Charleston Steamboat Excursion Co in 1903, sailing on the Kanawha River
Returned to private ownership in 1905 and was rebuilt after a fire in 1907
Scrapped in 1913
Engine reused in sternwheeler Golden Fleece

Louisiana (1903-1914)
200768
Built at Jeffersonville IN in 1890
Wood 180 x 32 ft 242 GT
Built as US Lighthouse tender Joseph Henry
Sold to the Bluff City Excursion Co and renamed Louisiana
Operated at St Louis MO in 1904 for the Purchase Exposition Excursion Company to bring crowds to the Exposition Grounds
Sold for operation at Memphis TN in 1906 and renamed Pattona (see photo under Pattona, below)
Sank in 1914

Above : Operating for the Purchase Exposition Excursion Co, but a long way from St Louis MO when seen at Henderson KY.
The exposition, originally planned to mark the 1803 centenary of the Louisiana Purchase, when large tract of central North America were purchased
from the French crown, was in effect a "World's Fair" and attracted visitors from far and wide

Morning Star (1901-1922)
093120
Built at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 250 x33 ft 495 GT
Louisville & Evansville Packet Company
Burned out in 1922

New Camelia (1878-1919)
130111
Built at New Orleans
Wood 176.5 x 27.5 ft 270 GT
Built on the hull of The Camelia which had been built in Wilmington DE in 1847 for the US Navy vessel Zephyr
The Camelia would carry cotton and packets from new orleans along the Gulf coast as far as Pensacola FL, carrying excursionists, particularly in the summer months
New Camelia sailed on Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans to lakeside Mandeville and Madisonville on the Tschefuncte River
After withdrawal in 1916 she served as an accommodation vessel for shipyard workers at Madisonville but sank at her moorings in 1919

Pattona (see Louisiana, above)

Above : Pattona near Memphis. Photo by kind courtesy of Kyle Gerson

Quincy (1896-1939, later JS)
020611
Built at Dubuque IA
Wood 246.7 x 42 ft 806 GT
Built for the St Louis, Davenport and St Paul Line
Sold in 1911 to Strackfus Steamers
https://www.hsqac.org/the-elegance-of-steamboat-mary

Above : As Quincy : Below : As JS

Robert E Lee (1897-1904)
111164
Built at Jeffersonville
Wood 238 x 38 ft 637 GT
Operated between Memphis and Ashton AR for Lee Lines
Destroyed on 22nd December 1904 due to rising water levels.

Saint Paul (1903- )
200094
Built in Dubuque IA
Wood 276.6 x 65 ft 832 GT
Built for the St Louis, Davenport and St Paul Line
Sold in 1911 to Strackfus Steamers

Spread Eagle (1892-1910 , ex- New Idlewild)
130617
Built 1892 at Jefferson IN as New Idlewild
Wood 225 x 35 ft 691 GT
Eagle Packet Company

Spread Eagle (1911-1918)
209025
Built in 1911 at Jefferson IN
Wood 166.8 x 26.7 ft 223 GT
Lost to ice 29th january 1918 at Paducah KY

Sunshine (1888-1928)
116210
Built 1888 at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 175.6 x 37.6 235 GT
1888-1907 Louisville & Jeffersonville Ferry Co, owned by Fern Grove Amusement Co
1907-20 at Pittsburgh for excursions by Captain W McNally
1920 bought by River Excursion Co of Cincinnati
1923 renamed Princess
1928 burned whilst laid up at Jeffersonville in January

Above : Sunshine is seen behind Columbia at Pittsburgh

Ursie Boyce (1923-1940, ex US Col A Mackenzie, ex- US David Tipton, later City of Cairo)
222511
Built 1900 at Jeffersonville IN
Wood 161.3 x 34.2 ft 425 GT
Originally US snag boat Col A Mackenzie then from 1904 David Tipton after Col A MacKenzie's late captain
Sold in 1920 to shipbrokers Messrs Katz and Klein
Sold in 1923 to Messrs Peel and Batchelor' Batchelor Line of Memphis TN and renamed Ursie Boyce
Ran on the Mississippi between Memphis and White River
Resold within a year to the New City of Cairo Excursion Company of St Louis MO and renamed City of Cairo

Verne Swain (1913-1932)
211179
Built at Stillwater MN
Wood 186.4 x 31 ft 196 GT
Operated excursions on the Illinois River for David Swain
Sold in 1918 to Captain Fred Hornbrook for service between Pittsburgh PA and Wheeling WV
Sold to Captain J Orvill Noll and the Anchor Line in 1923 for excursions in the Pittsburgh area
In 1924 she made Saturday 2:30 pm and Sunday 10:30 am round trips to Monanghela City with calls at Homeland, Braddock, McKeesport & Jefferson Beach
Sold to David Rose in 1927 to bring excursionists from Louisville KY to his amusement park at Charlestown IN and renamed her Rose Island
Sold to Captain GW Shaw in 1929 and renamed Roosevelt
Renamed City of Memphis
Sank on 17th August 1932 near Louisville KY

Above : On the Royal Line

Above : The Pittsburgh era. Dancing on the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers

Above : As Rose Island at Louisville

War Eagle (1899-1910)
081652
Built in 1899 at Madison IN
250 ft x 38 ft : 747 GT
Renamed Cape Girardeau in 1901 after reconstruction following a fire in 1901
Sank in 1910

Above : From the Missouri Historical Society via Wikicommons

Paddle Steamers Before Conversion for Passenger Use

Above : River Crossing Ferry Albatross : later to become Admiral

Above : Snagboat David Tipton : later to become Ursie Boyce

Side-Wheel Steam Paddle Ferries

Numerous side-wheelers were used as cross-river ferries, especially in the ownership for railway companies connecting up their lines in the initial absence of bridges.

One such was the Jefferson-built W S CHESNEY Jr of 1912 which operated the cross-river ferry at Louisville for the Falls City Ferry & Transportation Co. She became the first side-wheel paddle steamer to be converted to diesel-electic drive in 1925. She operated until 31st December 1929 having been displaced from her crossing due to the construction of a bridge Shet remained in service between Louisville and Cincinnatti for the Ohio River Transit Co as the FROMAN M COOTS as a freighter.

Above : Henry Marquand (1873-1927, ex- HS McComb) which was in operation in 1900 at Cairo IL, location of the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
095333 Built at Jeffersonville IN Wood 195.8 x 45.6 ft 395 GT

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