Research Help for Novel

There are a few of us that might be intimately acquainted with the Missouri River, but none of us know that much about it in the mid 1800's due to not being around then. One must rely on historic documents. Same goes for how the boats looked then. Photography was in its infancy, so we must rely on descriptions and not so accurate paintings. Sidewheel boats went up the Missouri but conditions caused them to evolve into having a special type of hull and sternwheels. Sidewheel boats tended to have one wheel on each side, otherwise they would go around in circles. Sidewheel boats did have a rudder, usually only one on the stern. One can always find contradictions, but this was the norm.

Average speed of a river boat varied. Eight, ten, twelve mph would be average. Add or subtract speed of current. Time to get from one town to another also varied, according to stops made, time stopped, inconveniences such as running aground, and on and on. I would guess current could be almost anywhere in the single digits. Researching newspapers of the time could reveal advertisements with the schedule of the packetboats. Way's Packetboat Directory does go back to 1848, so you could find out what was around then, if you haven't already.

Good luck on your book. I'm sure you will get more input from those who know much more than I do.

to Loren
I have in my files all the reverences to the sailings of Steamboats on the Missouri River from 1817 to 1849 that appeared in the Missouri Republican, Including some of the Cargo that came out of the Missouri River, these references also list the Captains and Clerks.
The references often list when the left the highest port they reached and the date the left for St Louis. There are a few descriptions of the republican owned boats. Details of boats owned by democrats will be in the democrat paper,
There are about 50 cards in the 1849 group, which include earlier boats that were on the Missouri in 1849.
Carl Jones

Borrow a book called For Wood and Water. It is a collection of Missouri River Steamboat logs and give a good idea of the difficulties of running that stream.

There were enough delays on those old boats to accommodate any novel plot: mechanical breakdowns, loading and unloading freight, fog, wind and groundings all contributed to delay.

Most boats of that era had a top speed of about 7-9 miles per hour in still water. Downstream they would make 10 - 12 mph, upstream 3 - 6 mph when everything was running right. St. Louis to New Orleans 5 - 7 days. New Orleans to St Louis 7 - 9 days, more or less, maybe, perhaps, possibly. Various events would extend these times as mentioned above. There were exceptional boats that could do a little better.

A saying of that time was, "Traveling the Missouri River would be delightful - if you didn't have to take the boat along."

*RE: 'Research for novel*
Dear Loren:
You've come to the right web [And other links] for basic information and good leads. Sounds as if you are presently in the basics of research and that's the hardest job ahead of you. Getting a 'feel' for the era, technology, economics, people is vital. Even in fiction you have to get the basics as somebody, somewhere is going to read and note the underlying historical facts--or lack therein.

I'd suggest first, from a novel point, you read 'Steamboat Gothic' by Francis Parkinson Keyes; then 'The Rivermen, from Time-Life Books, New York, 1975 for general data along with much on the Missouri River, boats etc. with photos. Visits to the closest major libraries or museums in your area a must to pull other references or to view collections of relics, photos, ephemera. The more you dig the more you find and the more you get 'hooked.' I'll keep my eyes open for other references from here. Remember, nobody can do it but you as it's a labor of love. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick, Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati

Loren: If you will find a copy of the S&D Reflector dated September 1984, look on page 22 and you will find a reprint of a log concerning a trip from Saint Louis to Fort Benton and return in 1867. You will find MUCH of the info you seek...wood purchases, Indian problems, army commandeering et al. I have no knowledge of the availability of THAT back issue, but you might try your local library or the Howard Museum in Jefforsonville, IN. The latter place had one for sale this past summer. Good luck! If you strike out, let me know and I'll run copies. Alan Bates (posting here) wrote the Western Rivers Cyclopaedium (out of print he sez). It would be an EXCELLENT idea to see a copy of that. Being a member of S&D would be a good idea too...they would be a great target audience for your book (Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen, PO Box 352, Marietta, OH 45750; dues $30 per year...they may have a back issue of September 1984 issue of S&D Reflector) Cap'n Walnut.

H'lo. I recommend a couple of books for background information on steamboating on the Missouri River:

(1) William E Lass, Navigating the Missouri (Steamboating on Nature's Highway, 1819-1935), University of OK Press, 2007.
(2) Joel Overholser, Fort Benton World’s Innermost Port, (River & Plains Society, 1987).
(3) John G Lepley, Packets to Paradise Steamboating to Fort Benton, (River & Plains Society, 2001).
(4) The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Vol 31, No 4 (Mar 1945), pp 537-578.

Information in these books will help you calculate the answers to your questions. The steamer logs also paint a colorful description of daily activities. The following sample is one day from the journal of the clerk of the str Henry M Shreve on its trip to Ft Benton in 1869.

TUESDAY APRIL 6th 1869. Left St. Louis at 1 ºclk P. M. Henry S. Carter in Command. Drawing 4 1/2 feet with 210 Tons Fort Benton Freight & the Balance Short freight with 60 Cabin & 20 Deck Passengers, Carriages & Buggys, Waggons, Horses & Lot Furniture Making a Very good show for a trip out of St. Louis.'4 Landed at a Wood Yard mouth of the Missouri River at 4 1/2 ºclk, 3 1/2 Hours out from St. Louis. Took 10 Cords Mixed Wood at $2.75. Passed St. Charles 15 at 10 ºclk P. M. night Clear & had a fair run all night.

Good luck.
Fran Nash

Wow, thanks for the responses, this is just what I'd hoped for.

Carl Jones: Would it be too much trouble to ask you to peruse your files for the name of a boat that would have made a trip from St Joseph to St Louis in late spring/early summer 1848? It would be even better if the name of the Captain and Pilot were known, but that's not critical. The reason I ask is that a gentleman that I contacted in St Joseph gave me the name of the Polar Star, but further research on my part indicates that the Polar Star operated from 1852-1858, too late for my book. I have two other names of Missouri boats from the era, the James Monroe and the Amelia, but know little about them other than that they were sidewheelers.

Others: Thanks for the references, I have or have read a few of them and will track down others as required. The speed of steamers up and downstream as well as speed of current are important to me because my characters take trips between obscure towns via steamboats, rowboats, and rafts and I'd hate for one of them to take a week to go from Anyville to Somethingburg when it should take a day.

And then, maybe some of us would like to read a rough draft to see if anything sticks out. It is good, though, that you are doing the research ahead of time. By the way, I have heard of rowboats making as good a time as some steamboats.

H'lo Loren.

The steamer you identified as str James Monroe was probably the str Monroe. Plenty of history associated with that name! The str Monroe was a side wheel, wooden hull packet built in New Albany, IN in 1848. It was rated at 183 tons. It was famous for a disastrous trip on the Missouri in Apr 1849. With a group of Mormon emigrants aboard, cholera struck claiming the lives of many, including the pilot, Joe Ponto, and other members of the crew. According to Way's Packet Directory, some 40 persons died. In Lass's Navigating the Missouri, five passengers died in route between St Louis and Jefferson City; on 10 May 1849, the first day the boat docked at Jefferson City several more died ; and 10-15 passengers died within the week. Deaths in St Louis due to this cholera epidemic amounted to 4,285.

In 1849, there were seven steamboats advertised to run in the St Louis to St Joseph trade: Alton, Boreas No 3, Kansas, Mary Blane, St Ange, St Joseph, and Timour. I can find nothing similar for 1848. These boats would make a trips between th two prts during the season. In 1852, one boat made 24 round trips between St Louis and Glasgow.

Capt Way listed two Amelias. Both met their end on the Missouri in 1849 - one snagged at Fayette and the other at Glasgow.

Fran Nash

*RE: *Research/Steamboat ARABIA*
Hi, Loren & steamboating colleagues:
Good leads and information coming in to you now. I neglected this morning to mention the discovery, archaological, forensic work done within recent years on the steamboat ARABIA that sank on the Missouri in 1856. You may possibly know about it already. Go on your internet seach engine, type in Steamboat ARABIA and hit GO. Links to the boat and museum will pop up for your interest. The construction of the ARBIA, her engines, cargo remarkable. A classic case of boat history, archaeology and forensic findings all rolled in one giving a view of economics/life of the time of the time. The boat's cargo surprised a number of researchers when luxury items for frontier consumption were recovered along with usual cargo, tools, equipment etc.

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

Thanks again, everybody.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my local library has a copy of 'Steamboat Gothic' and picked it up today.

I clicked all over the Steamboat Arabia website and was fascinated. If I ever make it to Kansas City I'll have to spend at least a few hours there.

Just as an FYI, perhaps I've given the impression that I'm just starting on the project, but in fact I'm in the middle of working on the 6th draft. While working on it thus far I've simply left ______ in places for the names of steamboats, captains, pilots, ____ number of days between St Louis and Memphis, etc while planning to later on plug in historically accurate name, places and facts.

"Later on" has become now. 🙂

Have you also looked into the Steamer Bertrand? It was dug up some years ago, along with much of the cargo. It was a later vessel, but probably had a lot in common with older Missouri River boats.

The answers to your boat parts question is in Alan L. Bates "The Western Rivers Steamboat Cyclopoedium" 1968.