Topic starter
16/11/2011 4:51 pm
I found the entry, number 4127, for NEBRASKA in Way's Packet Directory. It seems she was a wooden sternwheeler, born in Cincinnati in 1854 and expired from ice in Jan 1866.
Does anyone know who owned or operated her in May 1861? What would be a good source for digging deeper? I'd love to find her logbook - but that may be a bit ambitious.
Thanks again if you can help.
Ian
[url= http://www.twaintraveler.com ]
16/11/2011 9:26 pm
*RE: Str. NEBRASKA/Trade/Log book*
Hi, Ian & Steamboating colleagues:
The Cincinnati built SW NEBRASKA was no small boat built in 1854 serving until Jan. 12, 1866 as mentioned above, in WAY'S PACKET DIRECTORY and a brief listing I have here in my Literary Club Library archives. Twelve years in operation unusual for the day. She was roughly the length of the DELTA QUEEN with her 'trade' between St. Louis & New Orleans; New Orleans & Memphis. Also a troop transport during the Civil War for the 91st Infantry Volunteers. Steamboat log books sought for research often a hard commodity to find--unless in an archive, museum, private possession etc. Once the boat passed to infinity the logs were often lost, discarded, burned with some having their pages pasted over with articles, home remedies, ephemera. Same difficulty found when people today inquire about "lists of passengers" on such-and-such boat seeking names of ancestors.
As a military transport under the then U.S. Navy, a log or logs 'could' possibly have been placed in care of U.S. Naval Records/Archives as the Navy 'never' surrenders such materials above in the air, on the water or on the bottom. I'd consult possibly the Library of Congress, Navy Archives which can be found on your computer search engine. Good luck. Well, what do I know?
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.