The Steamboat Era: A History of Fulton’s Folly on American Rivers 1807-1860
by S.L. Kotar and J.E. Gessler
Published by: McFarland Publishing
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The Steamboat Era is one of the most fascinating and perhaps most romanticized times in American history. It encapsulates the spirit if adventure, an entirely new mode of transportation, westward migration, the development of commerce (and incidentally, the shifting of power from east to west), a period of wild land speculation, financial panics and depressions, and epidemics. It oversaw the influx of infamous riverboat gamblers, the creation of legendary pirates, a subculture of deckers and nymphes du fleuve, and the introduction of such oddities as the flush toilet. Finally, in the “Roaring ’50’s,” a time when Floating Places were in their height, in sneaked the evil railroad Robber Barons, who succeeded in sinking the Steamboat Gothic boats faster than boiler explosions or snags.
Having figuratively lived and worked in the mid-19th century for decades, we learned one lesson above all others; no one can understand the events of a bygone age without thoroughly comprehending the times in which they occurred. This, as much as anything, compelled us to write this book. There are numerous texts on steamboating (interestingly, of the thousands of contemporary accounts we read, only two instances, both from 1839, actually used the words “river boat”), but none of our acquaintance which make a serious attempt to intertwine the times and the culture with the nuts and bolts, facts and figures, of the early to middle 1800’s
No man, woman or child is independent of the times in which he or she lives. People are influenced by their home life, religion, family and friends, as well as the opinion of others. All have egos, and self-worth is based, in part, on the work they perform, their health, monetary concerns, politics and the development of technology. It is all very well to encapsulate an era by statistics of disasters and charts of commerce, but to truly comprehend who the individuals were and why they acted – and reacted – as they did, a backdrop of the times is essential.
We have attempted to present a unique oversight, while weaving a picture of the technical development of the steamboat as a way of explaining the glamorous and sometimes convoluted events that comprised the era of 1807-1860. To do this, we have selected articles from newspapers of the time, feeling it is important to present situations in the actual words and expressions of the day. Researching extensively in periodicals of this bygone age, we drew from thousands of original articles and included the entire text wherever practical. By this method, we hoped to give the flavor, the excitement, and frequently the heartbreak of those directly or peripherally involved with steaboating.
Historical misspellings, contractions and punctuation have been retained. Occasionally, charts and tables of figures do not add up: they were left as stated. Names of cities, rivers and newspapers evolved through the years: Pittsburg was typically spelled without an “h” at the end of the word; Nachitoches spelled without a “t” (Natchitoches); Galvezton with a “z” instead of the now-familiar “s”; “Arkansaw” was spelled phonetically. Words such as “steamboat” were printed variously as “steamboat” or “steam-boat.” One, or both or neither of the beginning letters may be capitalized. At times usage varied within the same article. The same holds true for “pilothouse”, “wheelhouse” and “paddle wheels.” Even the spelling of newspapers’ names varied, going from “Centinal” to “Centinel” to “Sentinel.” Many newspapers compiled articles from other papers and noted the original source as the end of the article. These notations have been retained.
The word “Negro” was seldom capitalized, and the names of Native American tribes went through a score of different versions (Native Americans themselves were invariably either termed “Indians” or “Red Med”). In rare instances, where we have been unable to decipher a word form an old newspaper, a question mark and the short notation that the text was unreadable has been inserted. Where applicable, we italicized pertinent passages; this is always noted.
Armed with natural curiosity and a desire to present a lucid and readable account with an eye toward continuity – always being aware that subjects frequently crisscrossed boundaries – we set about to answer myriad questions.
How did a portrait painter become the father of steam-powered vessels? What were contemporary opinions of the Great Mississippi, and where did that peculiar name originate? Why were “river tramps” vital to commerce? How did our ancestors deal with new-fangled “crappers” when outhouses were the order of the day? Why have films and television series pictured captains as the ultimate object of veneration when pilots and even clerks were more lauded in the local press of the day?
Researching this book has been like a treasure hunt: one question led to another and often led us away on an entirely different tangent. Investigating Mark Twain’s reference to Captain Basil Hall, led to Frances Trollope; she took us to an anonymous book written by “an American” , that in turn lent itself to the chapter called “An International Incident.”
The Fulton-Livingston monopoly brought us to piracy and the U.S. Supreme Court; an investigation of piracy underscored the differences between ocean, river and land bandits and the creation of popular fictionalized heroes. Delving into law sent us back to maritime verses civil cases, the tradition of the seas and, ultimately, the status and relative importance of steamboat officers.
Researching accidents (see the “Man Overboard! Steamboat Disaster on Western Waterways” chapter 11) gave us casualty figures, explained why a “raft” had to be cleared rather than floated, and introduced us to “steam guards”, which had less to do with “guards” than “gauges”. Casualty lists pointed directly to immigration and the differences between the moneyed and the poor. Turning another page, we plunged into profits and losses: the accumulation of wealth depended on seasons, tides, trades and luck. Cutthroat competition directed the path to the rise of the “Steamboat Gothic” style with its gingerbread and gilt. Gilt is gold and gold is specie. Specie took us to the Specie
Circular, Andrew Jackson and the mad land grab. Unbridled speculation in the opening lands of the West circled around economic panics and depressions. They in turn, adversely affected steamboat construction and western commerce.
The use of steamboats for military transport was directly linked to the Steamboat Scandal and the treatment of Native Americans. Oppression took us through the uncomfortable issues of slavery and the treatment of African Americans as stokers and passengers,. Investigating the major cities of the era lured us into the history of New Orleans, which was full of gambling parlors, dens of sin and Voodoo. Natchez-Under-the-Hill and Natchez-Over-the-Hill contrast as two sides of the same 19th-century coin.
How much did it cost to travel from New Orleans to St. Louis? What did a first -class cabin look like? Why did boilers explode and why would anyone in their right mind want to be an engineer? What did a contemporary bar stock and what did the patrons drink? Not the film favorite “red eye,” but a series of sweetened concoctions garnished with fresh fruit. What were steamboat races really like and why were they considered by some authorities to be safer than regular voyages?
Why did towns hang out yellow flags and what were the “cures” for the horrendous epidemics sweeping the lower Southern states? Who traveled the Fashionable Tour? Why, at the pinnacle of success in the 1850’s, were steamboats already being superseded by the railroads of the Robber Barons?
In the modern day of research, the Internet proved a valuable tool, but nothing can surpass the many beloved, well-fingered books we used to prepare this text. Primary among them are Steamboats on the Western Rivers by Louis C. Hunter, Steamboating on the Upper Mississippi by William J. Petersen, and Old Times on the Upper Mississippi by George Byron Merrick. To these scholars, we owe a debt of gratitude, as their compelling and comprehensive studies are a vital source for anyone desiring an in-depth understanding of the steamboat era.
As a supplement to the text we have compiled a glossary of steamboat terms and expressions. From “A1” (pilot rating) to “wrecked and floundered,” terms are concisely defined (see Appendix A).
Oliver Evans was an early steamboat advocate who designed a boat in Philadelphia in 1802 and assembled it in New Orleans. Before he could make a trial run, however, a flood carried the vessel away. The disaster did not dissuade him from his goal and, although ultimately unsuccessful in making a significant mark (his sole boat, the Oliver Evans, exploded), he did pen an eerily accurate future. As printed in the Adams Sentinel, June 19, 1843, the text reads as follows:
Predictions Fulfilled. – In 1813, Oliver Evens predicted:
1st. That the time would come when people would travel in stages and moved by steam engines from one city to another, almost as fast as birds fly, 15 or 20 miles an hour.
2nd. A carriage will set out for Washington in the morning, the passengers will breakfast at Baltimore, and sup in New York the same day.
To accomplish this two sets of railway will be laid, traveled by night as well as day, and the passengers will sleep as comfortably as they do don on steamboats.
3rd. As steam engine, consuming from a quarter to a half cord of wood, will drive a carriage 180 miles in twelve hours, with 20 or 30 passengers, and will consume six gallons of water. (Technically incorrect by fascinating insight).
Steam engines will drive boats 10 or 12 miles an hour, and there will be as many as 100 steamboats on the Mississippi and other Western waters, as prophesied 30 years ago.
An article such as this stimulates the imagination and brings the times to life. We hope our text has done the same in addressing the routes, twists and turns of the 19th century in a factual and readable manner that encapsulates the excitement, the high times, the miseries and uncertainties of a turbulent period. The steamboat era can fairly be said to have begun with Robert Fulton in 1807, come to fruition in the 1830’s and 1840’s achieved glory in the 1850’s, and all but disappeared with the Civil War. What happened within those decades is a fascinating look at America, Americana and the men and women of all nationalities who went alone for the ride.
SLK . JEG . Fall 2009