NC Business Hall of Fame - NC Steamboats 1861

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List of Merchant Steamboats in NC (1861 to 1899)
The first steamboats or steamships began plying North Carolina's sounds and rivers in 1818 (see steamboat list prior to 1861). The state's outer banks and difficult river navigation posed significant barriers. A local steamboat construction industry started in Fayetteville, Wilmington and Washington. Additional material will be added to this section this fall. Please provide any information for changes to this list to Ron Vinson.

Junior Achievement

The steamboat transportation industry was much larger than previous reports. We have identified nearly 100 (at present) merchant steamers plying North Carolina rivers, canals and sounds prior to 1861, with an additional 84 such boats (excluding steamer flats and tugs) built and operating between 1861 and 1899. The list is expected to grow. This comprehensive listing does not contain the occasional ocean-going steam ship that once or only a few times on an irregular basis stopped at Wilmington or Smithville (now Southport) or other NC seaports. The intent is to list cargo and passenger steamers, not tugs. Links are provided to some steamers to provide additional information and drawings/photos where available. More links will be provided in the future, so check back. Listing of Steamboats (Cargo and/or Passenger) on NC rivers and sounds (does not include tugs) Wheel types - P (sidewheel); W (stern or center); S (screw drive); Service - f (ferry)
Year Built	Name of Vessel	Wheel Type	Tons	Built In	First Home Port	NC River/Sound Routes/Dates	Final Disposition
1861	North Carolina (VII)	S	618	New York, NY	New York, NY	Ocean going from Wilmington	renamed Annie Childs 1861 blockade runner; renamed Julia Usher 1862; captured as Confederate steamer Victory 6-21-1863; USS Queen 8-15-1863; redocumented Gulf Stream 9-29-1865; Loss 1903
1861	Waccamaw (originally built as Nuestra Senora de Regia) renamed 11-25-65	P	376	Brooklyn, NY	New York, NY (originally built as a Ferry for Havanna; captured as blockcade runner)	Wilmington to Carolina Beach July 1876	Lost 1885
1863	Rebecca Clyde	S	446	Chester, PA	Philadelphia, PA		Stranded Portsmouth, NC
1864	Croatan¹³	S	28	Chester, PA	Erie, PA		Burnt 10/17/1929 Pasquotank River, NC
1864	Minquas	P	160	Wilmington, DE	Philadelphia, PA		Burnt 4/7/1865 Neuse River, NC
1865	Bettie	P	117	New Bern, NC	New Bern, NC	Little River	Abandoned 1869
1865	Washington	S	472	Chester, PA	Philadelphia, PA		Burnt 10/14/1870 Cape Fear River, NC
1865	Wave	S	80	Philadelphia, PA	New York, NY	Cape Fear	Abandoned 1898
1865?	D. Murchison (I)		120		Wilmington, NC	Cape Fear	Abandoned by 1895
1866	Governor Worth⁶	P	165	Wilmington, DE	Wilmington, NC	Cape Fear	Sank 1881, raised; sold in 1886 to Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West RR; Abandoned 1913
1866	Mystic	S	87	New Bern, NC	New Bern, NC		Abandoned 1887
1865+	Juniper	W		Fayetteville, NC
1866	R.M. Orrell	P	35	Fayetteville, NC	Wilmington, NC		Abandoned 1871
1866	W. T. DeForest	S	19	Unknown	New Bern, NC		Abandoned 1868
1867	Halcyon	P	92	Fayetteville, NC	Wilmington, NC		Abandoned 1877
1867	Marion	P W?	176	Fayetteville, NC	Wilmington, NC	Cape Fear	Abandoned 1872
1867	North Carolina	S	50	Camden, SC	Plymouth, NC		Abandoned 1880
1867	C.M. Gary					Cape Fear
1867?	Ida C. Potter	S	16	Unknown	Wilmington, NC		Abandoned 1868
1867?	Cumberland	P W?		Fayetteville, NC		Cape Fear
1869?	Bailey					Cape Fear
1869	Olive	S				Chowan River, Washington, NC and Norfolk (1905-)	Sank in 1903 on Chowan River; later rebuilt and operated until 1929
1870	Kalula			Hertford, NC	Hertford, NC	Plymouth to Hertford	Abandoned 1875
1870s	Robert E. Lee			Fayetteville, NC		Cape Fear	Exploded at Thomas Shoals 14 miles below Fayetteville
1870	Little Sam				Point Caswell, NC	Black River
1873	Bertie			Hertford, NC
1873	Ella					Franklin, VA to Plymouth, NC
1874	Pitt	P		Washington, NC	Washington, NC	Tar River
1874	North East					Tar River (1874) & Black River (1875- )	Burned in 1879
1874	Lota					Chowan River	at least past 1886
1875	Little Adrian	W	50			Black River

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