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Steamboat Building   in Elizabeth, PA

A Journal of daily activities at the Elizabeth Marine Ways 1898 to 1925 

Built at Elizabeth, PA

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This page is an attempt to list named boats built at either Elizabeth or West Elizabeth in chronological order, additions and corrections will be made as discovered including the size of many of the boats will be added.

 

 An early reference to boat building at Elizabeth is found in R. T. Wiley's book " Monongahela: the River And Its Region" page 97 where Mr. Wiley has the following advertisement from Colonel Stephen Bayard posted in the "Pennsylvania Journal" of Philadelphia in 1788 which reads:

"BOATS FOR SALE:  At Elizabeth-Town, on the Monongahela, May now be had.--Kentucky Boats of different dimensions; where also for the future Boats of every construction and size may be had, at as low price as any on these waters. to prevent detention of travelers, so frequently on the river for want of boats, the proprietor has erected a boat-yard on the premises, where timber is plenty, and four of the best Boat Builders from Philadelphia are constantly employed.

Stephen Bayard, Proprietor,   On the Premises."

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The book "Steamboats of The Western Rivers" has several interesting comments written including:

" Seagoing sailing ships (building) was carried on at Elizabeth as early as 1788"    Page 67

" Between 1826 and 1836 78 Steamboats with an aggrate tonnage of 13,553 were built at Elizabeth"  page 107

" Samuel Walker Boatyard sent 312 hulls down the River from 1800 to 1857"   Page 109 quoting the Elizabeth Herald June 7, 1900

 

Location:   E  means built at Elizabeth and WE indicates West Elizabeth
Size for many boats is listed and based upon weight in tons

Reference    P is number assigned to this boat by "Ways Packet Boat Directory"     T is number assigned to the boat by "Ways Towboat Directory"
                        L PG indicates information came from  "Lytle List" by William Lytle and PG indicates the page number the boat can be found
                        ACHY indicates information came from  " Allegheny County Hundred Years"  by George Henry Thurston and PG indicates the page number

 

Additions and Corrections are welcomed, please contact me  jwmohney"at"comcast"dot"net or use the Guestbook on the Home Page

           

Location Boat Name   Type of Boat   Year Built Size-Tons or Dimensions Reference   Misc Info
E PRESIDENT ADAMS   Armed Galley   1798   TribReview 1 May 19, 2002 This Date In History Boat launched from Elizabeth to fight Spanish on Mississippi
E MONONGAHELA FARMER   Schooner   1800 92 ACHY PG 1042   Owned by group of local farmers who sent goods to New York / Philadelphia via New Orleans
E ANN JANE   Brig   1803 450 ACHY PG 104   Fast boat of her day, ran between New York and New Orleans
E BIG BOAT ie A Keelboat   Keelboat   1803 55 feet     Used on Lewis & Clark Expedition - Actual location where built is disputed by Pittsburgh
E WESTERN NAVIGATOR   Packet   1815   RT Wiley   Book "Monongahela The River and It's Region"  Page 126
E DECATUR   Packet   1825 113 L PG 52    
E MARYLAND   Packet   1827 133 L PG 140   Elizabethtown
E STAR   Packet   1827 99 L PG 202   Elizabethtown   Renamed STRANGER 11/2/1830
E NORTH AMERICA   Packet   1828 282 L PG 159   Elizabethtown
E COLUMBUS   Packet   1829 59 L PG 42   Also known as LARK and UNCAS
E JAMES O'HARA   Packet   1829 161 L PG 109   Elizabethtown
E UNCLE SAM   Packet   1829 468 L PG 217    
E CORSAIR   Packet   1830 119 L PG 46   Elizabethtown
E O'CONNELL   Packet   1833 36 L PG 161   Elizabethtown
E TALLAHASSEE   Packet   1839 133 L PG 208    
E ALLEGHENY BELLE   Packet   1842   P0173   Oil City Run    Capt. Hanna
E CHARLESTON   Packet   1843 133 L PG 33    
E LODI   Packet   1843   P3545   Elizabethtown
E HANNIBAL   Packet   1844   P2525    
E J. M. WHITE   Packet   1844   P2866   Built for speed and set many records
E CIRCASSIAN   Packet   1845   P1038   Elizabethtown
E EMILY   Packet   1845   P1805   Elizabethtown
WE JOHN J. HARDIN   Packet   1845 206 L PG 114    
E NEBRASKA   Packet   1845 148 L PG 153   Elizabethtown
WE PEARL   Packet   1845   P4422   Smallest Packet on the Upper Mississippi
E PEYTONA   Packet   1845   P4469   Elizabethtown
E RANGER   Packet   1845 27 L PG 181    
E ROBERT MORRIS   Packet   1845   P4794    
E WIOTA   Packet   1845 219 P5860    
E ARENA   Packet   1846 53 P0321    
E CALIFORNIA   Packet   1846   P0801   Elizabethtown
WE DECLARATION   Packet   1846 229 P1479    
E DEL NORTE   Packet   1846   P1489   Hull only    Ran on the Rio Grande
E DICK FULTON   Towboat   1846 66 T0604   Oil City Run
  DISPATCH   Packet   1846   P1562   Built in Freedom, PA but ran out of Elizabeth
E JULIA   Packet   1846   P3171   Sank on Missouri River
E LADY BYRON   Packet   1846   P3331    
E MAJOR BROWN   Packet   1846 125 L PG 135    
E MARY ANN   Packet   1846   P3787   Ran Allegheny River to Franklin, Pa, had 32 Staterooms
E ONEOTA   Packet   1846 37 L PG 163    
E PIONEER   Packet   1846   P4513   Elizabethtown
E RESORT   Packet   1846 75 L PG 184    
E ROCKAWAY   Packet   1846   P4811    
E ROUGH AND READY   Packet   1846   P4848   Elizabethtown
E SARANAK   Packet   1846   P5041   Elizabethtown
E SOUTH AMERICA   Packet   1846   P5145   Elizabethtown
E ST. HELENA   Packet   1846   P4933    
E SUNBEAM   Packet   1846   P5224   Elizabethtown
E SWAN   Packet   1846   P5252    
E TOM CORWIN   Packet   1846 194 P5414    
E TOUNALEUKA   Packet   1846 169 P5428    
E WAKENDAH   Packet   1846 193 P5679   Sank at Fishing River on the Missouri 1846
E WHIRLWIND   Packet   1846 226 P5762    
E ALLEN GLOVER   Packet   1847 241 P0181   Elizabethtown
E ARROWLINE   Packet   1847 90 P0362    
E BOREAS No. 3   Packet   1847 264 P0683    
E BUENA VISTA   Packet   1847 266 P0731    
E CAMDEN   Packet   1847   P0811   Elizabethtown
E CAROLINE   Packet   1847   P0853    
E CHIEFTAIN   Towboat   1847 55 T0414   Owned by Capt. John Campbell
E CINDERELLA   Packet   1847   P1037   Elizabethtown
E DeWITT CLINTON   Packet   1847   P1528   Elizabethtown
E DOVER   Packet   1847   P1605   Elizabethtown
E DUBUQUE   Packet   1847   P1614   Elizabethtown
E EUREKA   Packet   1847   P1910    
E GENERAL JESSUP   Packet   1847   P2252    
E HIGHLANDER   Packet   1847   P2642    
E ISSAC NEWTON   Packet   1847   P2785    
E JEWESS   Packet   1847   P3016   Elizabethtown   first to adopt fancy exterior railing ornamentation
E LOYALHANNA   Packet   1847   P3612    
E MT. VERNON   Packet   1847   P4050   Elizabethtown
E NORTHERN LIGHT   Packet   1847   P4238   Elizabethtown
E PELICAN   Packet   1847   P4435   Elizabethtown
E ROWENA   Packet   1847   P4852   Elizabethtown
E AARON HART   Packet   1848 261 P0038    
E ALICE   Packet   1848 232 P0148    
E ANDREW FULTON   Packet   1848 180x35x8 P0257   359 Tons
WE BRAZOS   Packet   1848 101 P0704    
E CHIEF JUSTICE MARSHALL   Packet   1848   P1013    
WE DOLPHIN   Packet   1848   P1588    
E GREENWOOD   Packet   1848   P2449   Ran Kanawha River
WE HAIL COLUMBIA   Packet   1848   P2514   Rebuild of RHODE ISLAND
E IVANHOE   Packet   1848   P2804    
E JAMES NELSON   Packet   1848   P2942    
E KIT CARSON   Packet   1848   P3294    
E LAMARTINE   Packet   1848   P3356    
E NEWTON WAGGONER   Packet   1848   P4199    
E PEYTONA   Packet   1848   P4471    
E ROBERT WIGHTMAN   Packet   1848   P4800    
E SAVANNA   Packet   1848   P5045   Elizabethtown
E STAR   Towboat   1848 54 T2332    
E VENZUELA   Packet   1848 328 P5542    
WE VERMONT   Packet   1848 161 P5550   Described as a handsomely furnished boat, runs well, and only 22 inches draft
E VIRGINIA   Packet   1848 60 P5589    
E VISITOR   Packet   1848 141 P5602   Elizabethtown
E W. A. VIOLETT   Packet   1848 162 P5620    
WE WASHINGTON   Packet   1848 102 P5708   Went to Galveston, TX
E WAVE   Towboat   1848 89 T2620    
E WAVE No. 2   Packet   1848 101 P5727   Allegheny River boat with only one deck
WE WAVE No. 2   Towboat   1848 101 T2621   Same boat as above - listed in both books
E WESTERN WORLD   Packet   1848 338 P5755    
E AMAZONIA   Packet   1849 257 P0225    
E ANNA   Packet   1849 156 P0274    
WE EMPIRE STATE   Packet   1849   P1854    
E FASHION No. 2   Packet   1849   P2022    
WE GLAUCUS   Packet   1849   P2339    
E HAMBURG   Packet   1849   P2517    
E HOPE   Packet   1849   P2662   Ran the bayous of Lousiana
E J. L. McLEAN   Packet   1849   P2855    
E JAMES JACKSON   Packet   1849 144 L PG 108    
E JAMES MILLINGA(E)R   Packet   1849   P2938   Owned at one time by brother of Stephen Foster, Capt. Dunning Foster
E LYDIA COLLINS   Packet   1849   P3653    
E MARY   Packet   1849   P3782    
E MARY McKINNEY   Packet   1849   P3829    
E MINNESOTA   Packet   1849   P3950    
WE OSCEOLA   Packet   1849   P4338    
E REVEILLE   Packet   1849   P4740   Originally ran the Allegheny River
E SAN FRANCISCO   Packet   1849   P5024    
E TENNESSEE   Packet   1849 57 P5336    
E THOMAS SCOTT   Packet   1849 50 P5374   Part owner was James Irwin of Elizabeth, PA
E WEST NEWTON   Packet   1849 163 P5742    
E WILLIAM PHILLIPS   Packet   1849 62 P5830    
E CHATTANOOGA   Packet   1850   P0983    
E CHIEF ENGINEER   Packet   1850 67 L PG 35    
WE CLEONA   Packet   1850   P1176   Operated on Red River
E COLONEL FREMONT   Packet   1850   P1222    
WE EXPRESS   Packet   1850   P1943    
E HUNGARIAN   Packet   1850   P2683    
E IRENE   Packet   1850   P2768    
WE KATE FLEMING   Packet   1850   P3224    
WE MAGNOLIA   Packet   1850   P3695    
E PACIFIC   Packet   1850