Riverside in Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Steamboats & Ferries
Riverfront Wilmington
"Forty miles for 30 cents."
Last of the Steamboats: The Saga of the Wilson Line by Richard Elliott, 1970
By the late 1880s, the Wilmington shipyards were doing a brisk trade with both South American steamship lines and operators of the vastly popular excursion liners in the U.S. Working folks not only took a keen interest in the racing yachts built in Wilmington, but could also enjoy day long cruises on sleek, beautifully appointed steamboats.
J. Shields Wilson, a shipyard engineer from Camden, became president of the Wilmington Steamboat Company, later known as the Wilson Line, and helped design some of the fastest and most beautiful steamboats on the Delaware River.
[Captions:]
Right: The State of Pennsylvania, built for the Wilson Line by Pusey & Jones, was launched on the Christina River in 1923. Her maiden voyage was a moon-light cruise to Riverview Beach for a fare of 50 cents. Designed for maximum deck space, the ship featured a 3000 square-foot ballroom where a live orchestra played dance tunes. Here we see her with thousands of celebrants taking part in the Swedish tercentenary celebration on June 27, 1938.
Below: Brazilians proudly pose with the iron sidewheeler, Apurinan, built by Pusey & Jones for service on the Amazon River in the nineteenth century.
Bottom: The Rio Branco, built by Pusey & Jones for the Alto Amazonas Compannia of Brazil, is shown at anchor on the Christina River in 1870.
Topics.
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Location. 39° 44.118′ N, 75° 33′ W. Marker is in Wilmington, Delaware, in New Castle County. It is in Riverside. It is on South Poplar Street 0.1 miles south of East Front Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 110 S Poplar St, Wilmington DE 19801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Philadelphia. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bird's Eye View (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Steamboats & Ferries (a few steps from this marker); The Great Railroad Boom
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 2, 2022
2. Steamboats & Ferries Marker
This is a previous iteration of the marker. The information is identical although there are some formatting changes, namely the font.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 6, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 510 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 4, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on April 6, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on July 4, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
