Steamboats.com has been on the air since 1998 and we have fielded hundreds of questions about steamboats. Following are some of the best research solutions.
Here's an index to the resources described on this page:
Books
There are many good books available on the history of steamboats. Link to our Steamboat Bookstore to see them all. The best resource for boats on the Mississippi River system is Fred Way's Steamboat Packet Directory. This hefty steamboat encyclopedia lists 6,000 boats (1848-1994), organized alphabetically by ship name. If you want to learn about steamboat disasters, buy Lloyd's Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters by James T. Lloyd. If you want to understand what life was like on the river in the 19th century, order these two books, now recently back in print: Old Times on the Upper Mississippi: Recollections of a Steamboat Pilot from 1854 to1863, by George Byron Merrick and A-Rafting on the Mississip', by Charles Edward Russell. Read book reviews of these titles: click here.
Steamboats.com also offers a good collection of Dixieland Jazz music. Click here for our Jazz Bookshop.
Link Pages
This site offers extensive link collections. Click here for link page directory. If you want to look up boatyards, boats or captains in an alphabetical database, visit our friend Dave Dawley's Steamboat site. If you're interested in model (or real boat) building, visit the sites listed on our boat builders' link page. The best site for steamboat bells, whistles and calliope music is Steamboats.org. We also list museums, Steamboats of the 50 States, and many other relevant steamboat topics.
Steamboat Community Bulletin Boards
Steamboats.org An interactive bulletin board at Steamboats.org (based in Germany) Talk Shop
Yahoo! Groups Steamboat Group Go here to join the discussion: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/steamboats/ Decription: "An eGroup page that shows an interest in steam boats, their machinery and operation, for both old and new vessels of any size. This group is dedicated to helping the development of a greater interest in steamboats and the steam boat movement."
Steamboats.com Historic Preservation Board (at this site) Post information about your ancestry and connection with the old boats: click here to post
Look Up Captains, Boats, and Companies
Find information in an alphabetical database at Steamboat Dave Dawley's Place click here.
Search This Site
Steamboats.com has archived years of guestbook entries, latest news entries, and other information in the nooks and crannies of our research library and steamboat museum. Try our search engine to see if we have information on your subject of inquiry.
Question Steamboat Authorities
Leading steamboat experts are standing by, ready to answer your difficult questions:
Nori Muster (web master) Write to the web master if you want to post something at the site, if you find a broken link or missing jpg, if you want to talk about old times on the Delta Queen, or if you are a student doing a report.
Travis Vasconcelos Write to this expert if you have questions about the calliope, or steam piano, often found aboard paddlewheel steamboats.
Jerry Sutphin, President of the Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen (S&D website), takes questions on America's Western Rives and the steamboats that ran on these rivers.
Jerry Canavit Takes questions on General Steamboat History, Upper Mississippi Steamboat History, Texas Rivers Steamboating, and Steamboat Racing.
Ron Fossum Write to this expert if you have questions about the theory and practice of steam launches (under 50'). Pacific Northwest of USA for specific (named) boats.
Dave Thomson Write to this expert for Mark Twain; Hannibal, Missouri; steamboats in the movies.
Steamboats.com Latest News Page
If you want us to post a press release or anything on our latest news page, please contact us. Here is the latest news page: click here. Contact the web master: click here.
Steamboat Societies
There are many good organizations dedicated to steamboat history. If you have steamboats in your blood, consider joining and supporting one or more of these groups. They will send you their journals and your contributions help support their research. Be sure to check our link page on the subject: links1.html#societies.
Help Save Steamboat History
There is an urgent need to preserve steamboat history, an all-important part of American history. Steamboats.com encourages you to post your own steamboat history website and send us the URL for our link pages. Or, put together your info. and photos for an exhibit at the Steamboats.com Virtual Museum. Write to the webmaster if you want to offer material for an exhibit (contact).
Student Reports
If you are a student doing a report on steamboats, you will find a lot of information here. Read over this page and also visit the Steamboat Classroom for more ideas: who built the first boat, the history of steam engines, etc. Click here. We have posted four high resolution steamboat photos that print 8 x 10 - click here. To ask the web master any questions, click here.
Ancestry Questions
Steamboat Sleuth for Hire
Carl Hugh Jones will do searches of his files and books for information on your river related family (steamboat captains and crew and even modern towboat personnel) He charges a small fee for this service $30 for the first look of not less than 3 hours and $10 an hour for additional work. He will respond to your first inquiry by indicating if he thinks he can help you or not. Because he is also a river historian he is able to point researchers to sources near them that they might have over looked. Mr Jones can be reached by email: Carl Hugh Jones.
Boats For Sale
If you have a boat to sell or you're looking for a boat (or related paraphernalia) or you know where there's a boat in need of a good home - please send the info. to Steamboats.com and we will post it for you on our latest news page (send photos if you have them). (contact info.). We currently have a few notices of people who want to acquire boats (newest latest news, older news, older news).
Steamboat Antiques
If you're looking for a steamboat artifact, keep an eye on the auctions at eBay and Amazon. If you go to the "auction" section and type in the keywords "steamboat" or "paddlewheel" you will find a wealth of amazing items for sale. Also, if you have a boat or anything for sale, consider posting to the auction sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION: How can we book steamboat passage, what is the schedule?
ANSWER: Contrary to public opinion, we here at Steamboats.com do not actually have a boat or a bricks and mortar museum - although those things would be fun! We only have a website about steamboats. But our site makes it easy to find real boats and musuems. Check our Steamboats of the 50 States page to find steamboats near you (in America). Also check our link page for real steamboats: click here.
Support your local steamboats: Visit the steamboat nearest you! Steamboats.com makes it easy to find steamboats through the Internet!
QUESTION: I need to do a report on steamboats, can you help me?
ANSWER: We're always happy to email with students to offer ideas for reports. You can download photos, plus find interesting subjects to study. Link to the Steamboat Classroom or write to the webmaster click here.
