Traveling to and from steamboat ports on the Mississippi

*RE: Chicago/Mississippi Rail links, 1850s*

Hi, Nan & Steamboating colleagues,
Just catching up on .org after two busy weeks here. I'm certainly no expert in early railroads [Or little else for that matter] in the U.S., but have two old rail route maps here dating between 1856-1858 showing links between Chicago and the Mississippi River. Comes as a surprise to see the rapidly expanding rail system at that time. Routes were:
1. Chicago and Galena RR due west.
2. Chicago and Burlington RR to Quincy, Illinois.
3. Chicago and St. Louis RR to Alton and St. Louis [Link].
4. Chicago Branch RR to Centralia, Ill. with link to St. Louis.
5. Illinois Central to Cairo with link at Bloomington.
6. Chicago RR to Davenport.
7. Q.R.RR [Hard to read the small letters] link at Bloomington to Hannibal.
8. Ohio & Mississippi RR connected at Centalia for St. Louis.

Other major feeder routes from Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and major points east on the coast too numerous to post, let alone read without a magnifying glass. No doubt the above not complete.

There are others on this web with far more rail knowledge than me and one is Jim Herron. Jim may be able to enlighten us in more detail. One major rail congolmerate of those early years appears to have been the 'New York & Erie' system. The 'Pennsylvania RR' ran west to the Ohio at Pittsburgh; the The 'Baltimore and Ohio' to Wheeling, Marietta and on to Cincinnati. No major rail routes ran the Ohio River. Passengers connected to the steamboats on down the Ohio. *See Capt. Fred Way's book, 'SHE TAKES THE HORNS,' 1953, Young & Klein, Cincinnati, for charts on boat names, dates, fast trips between major ports on Ohio/Mississippi system. Contrary to some beliefs, many early railroads and steamboats often worked in tandem business links with freight, passengers. Surviving business records show investments crossing over from boats to rails and vice versa.

A round of applause not only for the September REFLECTOR, David and Jon; but to Jim Herron for uncovering the stellar color back cover photo last May drawing David's and my attention to its merits. That a classic in the anthology of steamboat photos. Would those who know a lot more about the above railroads please stand up.

Hope this helps--a little. Well, what do I know?

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

Thanks so much!

Since i had almost no clue before you stepped in, I'm delighted. i just have to find a way to get my Chicahoan to the river to board the Le Bel Soleil, obviously a fictional steamboat. now I just have to find a reason he would be traveling up and down the river to New orleans on a regular basis.. probably a law clerk or such.

I look forward to any more comments from others here.. and thanks for the Ways book recommendation... i stumbled across his books just yesterday,

Nan

*RE: Business travel by steamboat*

Hi, Nan & Steamboating colleagues:
There were "plenty of reasons" for steamboat travel then for those engaged in business, commerce, law, military postings. By 1848 and the war with Mexico, thousands of soldiers were shipped west and south from Cincinnati and ports on the Mississipppi. Much of this similar to business air flights today. That is before the business slump, use of Internet conferencing, 'texting.' Men [usually] in sales representing a company were termed 'drummers' traveling with sample items in cases for potential customers to review. A long steamboat trip with a rail segment was something not taken lightly in those days being both time consuming and expensive. Chicago on the edge of the prarie was emerging as the rail center of the mid west in addition to banking, agriculture, shipping, manufacturing etc. A lot of this preliminary information you can find by hitting you favorite computer search engine, archive, library with a destination, city and the year. Wouldn't hurt to do a monetary conversion with the dollar then compared to now. In the 1850s there was a shortage of gold and silver U.S. currency here. Our government, and businesses, by custom 'accepted' British, French and other European coins of the realm here. In one of Capt. Fred Way's early REFLECTORS we see a great head view of the the new CITY OF LOUISVILLE

It was realized in the time period you mention [1850s] that before too many years the railroad would begin its gradual assumption of many routes from the steamboat. True but also not true. Somebody once said or wrote, "The packet steamboat was already a dying animal by the mid 1920s." This due to expanding new road systems, perfection of auto--especially truck--technology in tandem with safe, dependable rubber tires. Hope this helps a little. Well, what do I know?

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

Travel on the riverboats

Nan,
I know that your questons were several months ago, and you may have all the information you need, but I have been reading some of the early traveler's
accounts. You might be interested in the descriptions in

Retrospect of Western Travel by Harriet Martineau (1834-6)
Domestic Manners of the Americans by Frances Trollope (1830's)
... by Frederick Marryat (1830's)
American Notes by Charles Dickens (1842)
Forty Years of American Life 1821-1861 by Thomas Low Nichols
A New Home in the West by Frederika Bremer

These texts should all be available on the Gutenberg.org site