Heathsville in Northumberland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Hooray for Steamboats!
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Meet Daisy
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The Amazon of Its Day
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 9, 2026
1. Hooray for Steamboats! / Meet Daisy / The Amazon of Its Day Marker
Hooray for Steamboats!
In the late 1800's, Northumberland County had few roads and fewer bridges. Whatever families wanted or needed was delivered by steamboats. Bats and balls for the baseball teams. Books and maps for the schools. Fireworks for the Fourth of July and fresh Christmas trees in December. Steamboats kept the General Store stocked with hard candies and other treats, enabled Grandma and Grandpa to come for a visit and delivered the latest news from Richmond and Baltimore.
Steam-powered vessels also ensured reliable shipping for Northumberland products. Watermen and farmers prospered alongside seafood packing plants and tomato canneries. Businesses grew. The county thrived.
Meet Daisy
Look what the steamboat brought mea new doll! Grandma sent her all the way from Alexandria. Mama told me Grandma ordered her from the Sears catalog. My brother Edward got a domino set!
The Amazon of Its Day
Called the Wish Book or Big Book or Dream Book, the Sears, Roebuck & Company catalog was the Amazon of the early 20th century. It could run a staggering 1,500 pages and offer more than 100,000 items. Whether you
this page online
Erected by Northumberland Public Library.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 37° 54.91′ N, 76° 28.163′ W. Marker is in Heathsville, Virginia, in Northumberland County. It can be reached from Northumberland Highway (U.S. 360) east of Courthouse Road (Virginia Route 201), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7204 Northumberland Hwy, Heathsville VA 22473, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Northern Neck. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, in the Chesapeake Bay Region, 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 the territory of the Mississippian
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 9, 2026
2. Hooray for Steamboats! / Meet Daisy / The Amazon of Its Day Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Necessity and the Mothers of Invention (a few steps from this marker); The Stars Are Falling! The Stars Are Falling! (a few steps from this marker); Who Invented the Crab Pot (within shouting distance of this marker); Holley-Graded School (within shouting distance of this marker); The Small Fish that Made Reedville Rich (within shouting distance of this marker); Chesapeake Bay Watermen (within shouting distance of this marker); The Long Road to Today's Library (within shouting distance of this marker); Northumberland County (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Heathsville.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 18 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
