Photograph of the steamer MONTANA. "Carried 1000 tons Pittsburgh to St. Louis on maiden trip. Could have easily carried 500 tons more. Greats carrier on shallow water."
"Built at California, Pennsylvania in 1879 of finest Pennsylvania oak. Some of the fine boards were 60 feet long. She was extreme shallow draft - 7" forward - 11" amid ship and 14" on the stern when light. On her maiden trip - Pittsburgh to St. Louis - she brought around 1000 tons and carried it with the greatest ease. She could have easily carried 500 tons more. The Montana, Dacotah and Wyoming were sister boats. The Wyoming was slightly larger in tonnage. Each of these great boats went to Fort Benton, Montana in the Mountain trade, but the came to late to reap the golden harvest in that trade. They were to big for the upper Missouri and the wind up in the country made them very difficult to handle. When they came down they never went back again. The wreck of the Montana lies at the St. Charles bridge. These hulls were as fine as any ever built, and those skilled ship carpenters did it all without any blueprints as sternwheel boats go they ranked as the finest."