NC Business History - North Carolina Steamboats 1861

The steamboat transportation industry in North Carolina was much larger than previous reports. We have identified about 100 (at present) steamers plying North Carolina rivers, canals and sounds prior to 1861, with an additional 140 such boats (excluding steamer flats and tugs) built and operating between 1861 and 1899. These lists are expected to grow. This comprehensive listing does not contain the occasional ocean-going steamship 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. Note: There were many lighters — large flat-bottomed barges — that are not included in this list, as these vessels were not considered "Steam Boats" by contemporary sources. Links are provided to some steamers to provide additional information and drawings/photos, where available. More information on specific steamers is constantly being added. Steamers in North Carolina from 1812 to 1849 (click link) are contained in this list. Steamers in North Carolina from 1850 to 1860 (click link) are contained in this list. Steamers in North Carolina from 1861 to 1880 (click link) are contained in this list. Steamers in North Carolina from 1881 to 1899 (click link) are contained in this list. 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
1861	Annie		185	Washington, NC	Washington, NC	New Bern & Trent River, Tar, etc.	Sunk 1895 in the Tar River
1862	I. D. Coleman
1863	Rebecca Clyde	S	446	Chester, PA	Philadelphia, PA		Stranded Portsmouth, 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
1869	D. Murchison (I)	P	140	Wilmington, DE	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
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
1869	Fairmount
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
1871	Vesper		331	Washington, NC	Washington, NC	New Bern & Neuse River, etc.	Sold to Old Dominion Steamship Co. in 1872; then to Clyde Line in 1891; by 1896 on Eastern Dispatch Line (Newbern-Eliz. City)
1871	Cumberland (I)
1872	Bertie	S	20	Windsor/Hertford, NC	Edenton, NC
1873	Ella					Franklin, VA to Plymouth, NC
1873	Mary E. Roberts					Scuppernong & Chowan Rivers & Edenton
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
1874	Col. W. P. Craighill
1875	Little Adrian	W	50			Black River
1875	Chowan renamed in 1889 Nanticoke					Chowan River	sold in 1889 and renamed Nanticoke, worked in Albemarle Sound
1876	Neuse	P	55	Kinston, NC	New Berne, NC	Kinston - Trenton and various points	Neuse & Trenton Steamboat Co.
1875	Bonita
1877	Alexander Jones
1877	Colville
1877	Contentnea
1878	Edith
1879?	Isis	W		NC (BlkRivSBoat)	NC	Black River; 1879 on Cape Fear
1879	R.L. Myers (1)			Washington, NC	Washington, NC	Tar River	Lost prior to 1885
1879	Greenville			Washington, NC	Washington, NC	Tar River	Sank April 1891; raised in May; sold in June 1892
1879?	Clinton	W				Northeast & Black Rivers	Sank 1881
1879	Italian
1880	Tarboro			Washington, NC	Washington, NC	Tar River
1880	John Dawson (II)	W		Point Caswell, NC		Black River; on Cape Fear in 1882	Burnt 1885 on Black River, Maultsby's Point
1880	Northampton	P
1880	Curlew
1880s	Hall					Black River
1880s	Magruder					Black River

Tons