NC Business History - North Carolina Steamboats 1881

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 100+ 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. There is an exception for the Hamilton (1884) which had a iron or steel hull and was federally registered. 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
1881	Bessie	S	23	Tottenville, NY	1888 - Wilmington, NC
1881	Conoho
1881	Diamond A
1881	Diamond C
1881	Glide
1881	Mountain Lily	P		French Broad		French Broad River	Abandoned 1885
1882	Bonito	S	33	Lenoxville, NC
1882	Cumberland (II)
1882	Florence	S	8	Vanceborough, NC	New Berne, NC		Swift Creek Line; J. M. Ipoch, captain, in 1896
1882	Kinston	P	97	New Berne, NC	New Berne, NC	Kinston - Trenton and various points	Neuse & Trenton Steamboat Co.
1882	L. H. Cutler	S	30	Swift Creek, NC	New Berne, NC	Kinston - Trenton and various points	Neuse & Trenton Steamboat Co.
1882	Lisbon (I)	W	67	Point Caswell, NC	Wilmington, NC	Black River	Damaged ice 1893; abandoned 1897
1882	Saugerties	P		NC		New Bern & Elizabeth City	Burned in 1903 in New York
1882	Wilmington	S	110	Wilmington, DE	Philadelphia, PA	Wilmington to Southport (1891 - )	Sold overseas, still was operating in 1977
1883	Beaufort	S	188	Washington, NC	Washington, NC	Tar River
1883	Bladen		100	NC		Cape Fear	Burnt 1885, rebuilt; burnt 1886
1883	Blanche (II)
1883	Charles
1883	Margie				Washington, NC	Tar River
1883	Meteor
1883	Plymouth	S	210	Norfolk, VA	Edenton, NC	Edenton - Plymouth
1884	Bettie (II)	P	64	Elizabeth City, NC
1884	Cleopatra
1884	Eva
1884	Eaglet		386			New Bern & Washington-Kinston, etc.	Sold to Clyde Line in 1891. Operating in 1896 as part of Eastern Dispatch Line between Newbern - Elizabeth City
1884	Excelsior	S	45	NC		Cape Fear; on Black River 1885	Burned April 1885, rebuilt
1884	Hamilton (steam barge; iron or steel hull)
1885	Delta	W	24	Delta, NC	Wilmington, NC	Northeast & Black Rivers	Boiler exploded 1887, rebuilt; served after 1889, unknown disposition
1885	Eva Parker
1885	Hercules
1885	R. L. Myers (II)	S	83	Washington, NC	Washington, NC	Tar River - Washington to Greenville, NC	Sold to Norfolk & Southern RR in 1905, dismantled in 1908.
1885	Seabright						Sank off Bald Head 1901
1886	J.C. Stewart			built for SC company	Wilmington, NC	Cape Fear
1886	Enterprise (III)
1886	Katie and Sadie
1886	Josie
1886	Lily
1886	Susie					Black River	Burned 1887 at Point Caswell
1887	Sylvan Grove					Wilmington to Carolina Beach	Burned 1890/1891
1887	Beta
1887	Cape Fear (II)					Cape Fear	Wrecked 1895
1887	Comet
1887	Croatan	P	17	Elizabeth City, NC	Edenton, NC		Burnt 10/17/1929 Pasquotank River, NC
1887	Greenfield
1887	Hattie
1887	Manteo					Newbern - Norfolk
1887	Passport					Wilmington to Southport
1888	S. A. McCall*	P	130	Boston, MA	Boston, MA	Cashie River
1888	Acme
1888	Albemarle (III)
1888	Ella
1889?	Cashwell	P	100
1889	Pierrepont					Cashie River to Norfolk through Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal
1890	Maggie				Clear Run, NC	Black River	Sold to SC co. 1892
1892	C.F.D.					Town Creek
1894	Frank Sessoms		75	Wilmington, NC	Point Caswell, NC	Black River	operated after 1900
1895	Killam				Wilmington, NC	Cape Fear
1895	D. Murchison (II)	W		Fayetteville, NC		Cape Fear
1895	E. A. Hawkes			Point Caswell, NC		Black River	operating after 1905
1887	Howard	S	42	New berne, NC	New Berne, NC		Independent Line in 1896; J. J. Lassiter, gen. mgr.
<1896	Cardina					Newbern - Contentnea Creek
<1896	George H. Stewart					Newbern - Baltimore
<1896	Newbern					Newbern - Norfolk
<1896	Trent					Kinston - Trenton and various points	Neuse & Trenton Steamboat Co.
<1896	Blondie					Kinston - Trenton and various points	Neuse & Trenton Steamboat Co.
1897	Lisbon (II)	W	50	Point Caswell, NC		Black & Cape Fear	Sank after 1900 Point Caswell, NC
1899	A. J. Johnson	W	57	Clear Run, NC	Clear Run, NC	Black River	1914
	Alma					Tar River	Withdrawn from service 1899
	W. T. Daggett	W	35			Black River	Ran after 1901
	William Nyce					Cape Fear	Burned 1884
	Saint Peter					Northeast River
	Commerce		188				Burned 12/7/1883 at Wilmington
	Rotary		127				Burned 12/31/1882 at Edenton
	Reindeer			Norfolk, VA		Cape Fear
1880s	Ranger					Roanoke River	Sank 1898 in Roanoke River
1880s	M. E. Dickerman					Elizabeth City and sounds

Tons