Mississippi Steamboat Era Books or Reference Materials

[mrjuan]

Hello Follow Builders,

I am looking for some books on Mississippi steamboat or riverboat. Specifically where it references historical accounts, how they worked, and more important how they where constructed or features. Imagines would greatly help. I found some on Amazon. One in particular is one called "The Mississippi Steamboat Era in Historic Photographs: Natchez to New Orleans, 1870–1920". But wanted to check with someone in the group for other recommendations before I will the trigger on purchasing. Thank you everyone.

 

[Peter Voogt]

Hello Follow Builders,

I am looking for some books on Mississippi steamboat or riverboat. Specifically where it references historical accounts, how they worked, and more important how they where constructed or features. Imagines would greatly help. I found some on Amazon. One in particular is one called "The Mississippi Steamboat Era in Historic Photographs: Natchez to New Orleans, 1870–1920". But wanted to check with someone in the group for other recommendations before I will the trigger on purchasing. Thank you everyone.

Hi JB. This Cyclopedium did help me a lot with my build of my Paddle Steamer:

And details about the engines:

Alan Bates did a lot of research and made several drawings.
Tomorrow I will post some more links to interesting sites with information and photos.
PS: you know this site:

Steamboating the Rivers - Steamboats.org

www.steamboats.org

For models:

Steamboat Model Building - Steamboats.org

If you consider building a model of a paddlewheel steamboat, think of doing a lot by yourself. There are only very few steamboat model kits around, the most accurate but also the most expensive one being the SAITO model kit of the Delta Queen. But if you’re an somewhat experienced model builder...

www.steamboats.org

Regards, Peter

 

[mrjuan]

Hi JB. This Cyclopedium did help me a lot with my build of my Paddle Steamer:
View attachment 617125
And details about the engines:
View attachment 617126
Alan Bates did a lot of research and made several drawings.
Tomorrow I will post some more links to interesting sites with information and photos.
PS: you know this site:

Steamboating the Rivers - Steamboats.org

www.steamboats.org

For models:

Steamboat Model Building - Steamboats.org

If you consider building a model of a paddlewheel steamboat, think of doing a lot by yourself. There are only very few steamboat model kits around, the most accurate but also the most expensive one being the SAITO model kit of the Delta Queen. But if you’re an somewhat experienced model builder...

www.steamboats.org

Regards, Peter

Thank you for the recommendation. I will take a look. Looking forward to your other site links

 

[Joerolwing]

Hello Follow Builders,

I am looking for some books on Mississippi steamboat or riverboat. Specifically where it references historical accounts, how they worked, and more important how they where constructed or features. Imagines would greatly help. I found some on Amazon. One in particular is one called "The Mississippi Steamboat Era in Historic Photographs: Natchez to New Orleans, 1870–1920". But wanted to check with someone in the group for other recommendations before I will the trigger on purchasing. Thank you everyone.

Try the Howard Steamboat Museum in Jeffersonville, IN

 

[Peter Voogt]

@mrjuan JB.
Sorry for a bit of delay. Here is another very interesting web-site with a large amount of information:

Steamboats.com

Paddle wheel steamboat online museum, research center, and news blog.

steamboats.com

Take your time to click on all the chapters.
(So you have Steemboats.org and Steamboats.com)

The 'chapters' related to your question in post #1 is the book-shop:

Steamboat Shop

Steamboat Shop

steamboats.com

Another one is for the models:

Steamboats.com Model Boat Page

Model boat hobby central, learn about model boats.

steamboats.com

A had a lot of contact with them and they were also generous enough to post a link to the SoS and to my model.
For sure you will spend 'some hours' on this web-site.
Regards, Peter

 

[Ben Gilbert]

I would second the recommendation of the two books by Alan Bates. They're probably considered the bibles of inland river steamboat technology. I also recommend "The Western River Steamboat" by Adam Kane (Alan Bates wrote the forward). Don't be misguided by the reference to "western river" in these titles. Early on the Mississippi river system was considered "western" by those on the east coast and the name stuck. I would also recommend https://www.riverhistory.org/. This is the website for the Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen. It is the largest organization dedicated to the history of the US inland rivers. The website gives you access to the organization's quarterly publication "The S&D Reflector". There's over 50 years of this publication in PDF available to anyone.

 

[Roger Pellett]

The Ohio River Museum is located in Marietta, Ohio. It features the steamboat W.P. Snyder, a National Historic Landmark. She is afloat in the. Muskingum River a mile or so upstream from where it flows into the Ohio. She is beautifully maintained and is regularly towed downstream for dry docking at Point Pleasant WV. You can find the historic structures report prepared for NHL registration on the internet. She would be the ultimate Western Rivers Steamboat reference if you live close enough for a visit.

Roger