Exploring the river towns of the Sacramento Valley you're bound to find items associated with river travel. The quickest way to the Eastern Sierra mines during the gold rush was by water. Down the Eastern seaboard around Cape Horn & North to San Francisco ~ San Francisco up the Sacramento River to Sutter's Embarcadero.
In California paddle wheelers ruled the delta. By 1851, 173 steamboats visited the wharf in Sacramento. In 1852 there were 238 steamboats. In 1867, thirty seven steamers engaged in river navigation between Sacramento & San Francisco.
Normally a fourteen hour run, The Stmr. New World made quick time with a 5 1/2 hour passage from San Francisco to Sacramento. Throw caution to the wind ~ always chancing that the boiler would blow. This was the case for several steamers. The Stmr. Saganaw blew up ~ fifty dead on Oct 29 1850. In 1865, the Stmr. Yosemite left the wharf at Rio Vista only to have a boiler blow, killing thirty four men aboard. The Stmr. Pearl in 1855 took fifty six souls to their maker as she nosed into her slip at the foot of the American River ~ again an exploding boiler. Some blamed the exposions on poor boiler steel. This may have occasionally been the case, but the primary reason was too much steam, as captains pushed for speed.
Those passengers fortunate to travel without mishap dined upon company china placed on linen table cloths. They could enjoy a hand of cards or idle the time away taking in the scenery. The California valley was a mass of tule beds & a maze of twisting sloughs. The valley teamed with wildlife. Sometimes a calliope could be heard as a Steamer neared Sacramento.
Expectation of wealth was the fuel. No dusty oxen trail for me ~ I'd brave the river route.
Later, steamers would bring produce from the reclaimed land in the delta to the markets in Sacramento & San Francisco. The growing masses in the California Valley relied heavily on goods shipped by boat. Steamships carried it all to the goldfields ~ gold pans, picks, goats & nails.
Below are pictured a few items reminiscent of river travel:
First, a sounding weight ~ 8 lbs of lead ~ used by line & weight to determine depth of river & safe passage (marking twain). Some deckhand took the time to hammer the name of the steamboat into it's side “D E Knightâ€. This stern wheeler was built in Marysville, Ca in 1878. It was a ship of shallow draft used to navigate the upper river. This unique item was found in the bottom of a river dump ~ crusty & forgotten.
Second, a water pitcher sporting the California Transportation logo. CT Company was the largest of the firms operating river travel. It's main competitor was Southern Pacific which ran paddle wheelers as well as trains. Again a personal find that made my day.
Finally another pitcher ~ several creamers and a butter pat from an opposing steamship line of California Navigation & Improvement. Paddle wheelers working for CNI were used primarily on the San Joaquin River and were seldom seen on the Sacramento. These items all came as sweet extras on a bottle quest ~ items that somehow found their way into river town dumps.
Thank you cacarpetbagger for the CNI butter pat. It was a grand hunt.
In California paddle wheelers ruled the delta. By 1851, 173 steamboats visited the wharf in Sacramento. In 1852 there were 238 steamboats. In 1867, thirty seven steamers engaged in river navigation between Sacramento & San Francisco.
Normally a fourteen hour run, The Stmr. New World made quick time with a 5 1/2 hour passage from San Francisco to Sacramento. Throw caution to the wind ~ always chancing that the boiler would blow. This was the case for several steamers. The Stmr. Saganaw blew up ~ fifty dead on Oct 29 1850. In 1865, the Stmr. Yosemite left the wharf at Rio Vista only to have a boiler blow, killing thirty four men aboard. The Stmr. Pearl in 1855 took fifty six souls to their maker as she nosed into her slip at the foot of the American River ~ again an exploding boiler. Some blamed the exposions on poor boiler steel. This may have occasionally been the case, but the primary reason was too much steam, as captains pushed for speed.
Those passengers fortunate to travel without mishap dined upon company china placed on linen table cloths. They could enjoy a hand of cards or idle the time away taking in the scenery. The California valley was a mass of tule beds & a maze of twisting sloughs. The valley teamed with wildlife. Sometimes a calliope could be heard as a Steamer neared Sacramento.
Expectation of wealth was the fuel. No dusty oxen trail for me ~ I'd brave the river route.
Later, steamers would bring produce from the reclaimed land in the delta to the markets in Sacramento & San Francisco. The growing masses in the California Valley relied heavily on goods shipped by boat. Steamships carried it all to the goldfields ~ gold pans, picks, goats & nails.
Below are pictured a few items reminiscent of river travel:
First, a sounding weight ~ 8 lbs of lead ~ used by line & weight to determine depth of river & safe passage (marking twain). Some deckhand took the time to hammer the name of the steamboat into it's side “D E Knightâ€. This stern wheeler was built in Marysville, Ca in 1878. It was a ship of shallow draft used to navigate the upper river. This unique item was found in the bottom of a river dump ~ crusty & forgotten.
Second, a water pitcher sporting the California Transportation logo. CT Company was the largest of the firms operating river travel. It's main competitor was Southern Pacific which ran paddle wheelers as well as trains. Again a personal find that made my day.
Finally another pitcher ~ several creamers and a butter pat from an opposing steamship line of California Navigation & Improvement. Paddle wheelers working for CNI were used primarily on the San Joaquin River and were seldom seen on the Sacramento. These items all came as sweet extras on a bottle quest ~ items that somehow found their way into river town dumps.
Thank you cacarpetbagger for the CNI butter pat. It was a grand hunt.
