The 19th century ushered in an area of majestic paddle-wheel steamboats, some with palatial ballrooms, galleries and saloons. These showy boats weren't the norm, however, as most steamboats were working vehicles, trudging up and down the Mississippi carrying crops and goods. A steamboat could haul goods from Louisville to New Orleans in about three weeks – a significant time saver from the month-long trips required by the flat-bottom keel boats of years past.
The first steamboat, built by John Fitch in 1769, failed commercially due to high production costs. In 1807, a more affordable model was created by Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston. This launched the coming years of success for steamboat cargo transportation and led to a flourishing industry of steamboat towboats, ferries, cargo ships and showboats.
The first Mississippi River steamboat, named the New Orleans, embarked from Pittsburgh on a rocky first voyage in 1811. Nicholas Roosevelt launched and navigated the ship on a harrowing maiden trip that included tremors from the New Madrid earthquakes. Roosevelt steadily trudged downstream and arrived on Jan. 12, 1812 in the city of New Orleans, where the namesake ship remained as a working vessel on the Mississippi for only two years. In 1814, the New Orleans sank after hitting a submerged stump.
The Comet, a small boat in comparison to the New Orleans, became the second steamboat launched on the Mississippi in 1813. Its launch from Pittsburgh heralded the use of lightweight, high-efficiency engines designed by Daniel French.
One year passed before the third Mississippi steamboat, the Vesuvius, set sail from Pittsburgh as a working boat for Robert Livingston and Robert Fulton, the creators of the first successful steamboat design. Vesuvius was launched in 1814 under the command of captain Frank Ogden of New Orleans.
