Mississippi - Ohio River sidewheeler. The KEYSTONE STATE first was built in Freedom, PA in 1850. She ran 337 tons and had hull measurements of 234' x 26' x 5.7'. She originally ran in the Pittsburgh - Cincinnati trade and later in the St. Louis - New Orleans trade. She was destroyed by fire at Florence, Il on May 31, 1855. The image bears a possible signature of "A Dave" or "A. Dare" which is transcribed on one of the parcels on the main deck, just in front of the stacks., Graphite drawing on paper, undated, c. 1852. Paper size, 5 9/16 x 14 1/2" (140 x 368 mm).
Painting of the side-wheel packet Eclipse, commemorating her famed (and hotly contested) speed trial of 1853. The boat was designed for the Louisville-New Orleans trade and was given great power with the expectation that she could make the upstream voyage in four days; she never did.
Fire was not the only cause of disaster along the riverfront, for spring thaws took their toll, too. This scene shows some of the damage which resulted from ice breaking up in '56. Note throng attracted to levee.
Spring thaws that took their toll along St. Louis riverfront in the days of heavy steamboat...shows some of the damage which resulted from ice breaking up in 1856. Note crowd attracted to levee...
Ice was a deadly menace to the wooden-hulled steamboats, locking them to the shore and then crumpling them into splintered wrecks when it thawed and began to break. This was a typical mid-winter scene on the St. Louis riverfront in the 1850s.
Fourth and Olive streets, looking west (in the top photo). The Ohio & Mississippi Railroad offices were in the building on the right. Its tracks got to Illinois-town, now East St. Louis, in 1857. An 1865 advertisement said the Ohio & Mississippi was "the Great Broad Gauge Route to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston. Only route to Cincinnati without change of cars. Trains are run by Telegraph. Only route running those elegant state room sleeping cars." The Ohio & Mississippi is now part of the Baltimore & Ohio- and Fourth and Olive has also changed (as shown in the lower of the two photos).