Steamboats

East Dubuque Local Area History Project

	by A. F. 5/1/00
	In 1823 the “Virginia” passed by Dubuque. The “Virginia” was a very popular steamboat. When the first single engine side-wheelers and sternwheelers came to the upper Mississippi, they scared the Indians because of the amount of noise they made.

	There were lots of freight shipping companies. The Northern Line Packet Company was established in 1857. It ran from St. Paul to St. Louis. In 1856, the Galena, Dubuque, Dunleith (East Dubuque), and Minnesota Packet scheduled two daily runs to St. Paul, leaving Galena early enough in the morning to conduct business in Dunleith (East Dubuque) and Dubuque. The Diamond Jo Line was established by Joseph Reynolds. He moved it from Fulton, Illinois, to Dubuque, Iowa. Steamboats carried freight, livestock, machinery, and fuel.

	Steamboat captains loved to win steamboat races, especially Captain Daniel Smith Harris. Often, they would hire an African American to sit on the valve, that increased the speed of the steamboat. Whenever two boats came along side of each other on the river, they would try to race. Passengers would get into the competition by yelling across to the other boat. The prize for being the fastest boat was a broom on the Upper Mississippi, or a set of deer antlers on the Lower Mississippi. These would be mounted between the smokestacks as trophy. It was also good advertising for the steamboat.

	Engines always needed refueling. Because engines burned wood for the boilers, frequent refueling was needed, two or three times a day. In the very beginning, they would have to stop and cut wood. Woodcutters’ homes became welcome landmarks because there would be wood there, ready to go, all cut dried, and stacked. The steamers just pulled over, paid, and loaded the wood.

	Steam boating reached its height on the Mississippi during the 1850’s. Festive boats with bright paint and gingerbread scrollwork carried passengers and freight.

	Steamboats usually had three decks. The lowest deck held the engines and the boiler, as well as the freight. There would be wood stacked up on the side. Deck passengers stayed on that deck. They had no beds to sleep on; they slept on the floor. Deck Passengers paid the lowest fares. They carried some of the wood aboard as part of their cost of passage, and they carried their own food.

	The middle deck is where the cabin passengers stayed. In 1832 a trip from Dubuque to St. Paul cost about $5.00 and in 1859 the cost of that trip went down to $2.00 a trip. During the price wars between steamers, they might be able to travel for 50 cents. They dined on the gourmet food, and could pick from 13 desserts prepared by many of the best chefs in America. Dining rooms had thick carpets , well stocked bars, and wine lists like those of the finest Eastern restaurants. Music was provided by brass bands and orchestras. They slept in small cabins lining the decks.

	The top deck is called the hurricane deck. The captain and officers rooms were up there. The pilot house was on that deck as well.

	Traveling by steamboat could be hazardous. Boilers exploded. The pressure of the steam engines often ruptured the metal tubes and tanks. Fires were also a problem. They could be started from cooking, boiler explosions, or careless passengers. The boats were constructed of wood and could catch fire easily. Hitting things in the water was another big problem. There floating trees and other debris. On some sections of the river, the water was very shallow and there were rocks. There were dangerous rapids. In spite of the hazards, it was still the best way to travel and the fastest.

	The decline of the steamboat trade came with the coming of the railroads. Railroads could go faster, could carry more, and could get to more locations in less time.

	That wasn’t the end of all the steamboats. There are still paddle wheelers traveling the Mississippi River, although they are no longer powered by wood. They are a common sight even today.

	Bibliography Field trip to the Dubuque River Museum, 3/10/00. Lyons, Randolph W. Dubuque: the Encyclopedia. Dubuque, Iowa: Union-Hoerrmann Press, 1991. Watson, Ken. Paddle Steamers: An Illustrated History of Steamboats on the Mississippi and its Tributaries. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1985. Worden, Frederick J. Racing for the Broom and other Upper Mississippi Exploits of a Record-Setting Steamboat Captain. Largo, Florida: Turner Printing Company, Inc., 1986.