Steamboat History in Florida

Steamboats were a sight to behold in nineteenth century Florida. From the St. John's, to Apalachicola, Cedar Key, Kissimmee, Ocklawaha, Suwannee, and Caloosahatchee, Lake Okeechobee, Ft. Myers, as well as the Indian River and gulf channels, steamboats were used in the 1800's to transport vacationers, goods and settlers to river and seaside towns throughout central and east coast Florida.

Palatka and St. Augustine have a rich history of steamboats, and so does Edgewater Florida in Volusia County. Dr. John Milton Hawks settled Edgewater back in the 1870's. Many of the parks along what is now known as Riverside Drive were landing spots for the boats, and in Palatka, near St. Augustine, the St. John's River, plentiful with bass, is the longest running river channel that the steamboats came down.

The steamboat trade, though competitive, flourished, and was a dynamic part of the tourist and business industry, making many steamboat fleet owners wealthy.

Steamboats were the luxury vessels of their time. They were also a means for the confederate soldiers during the Civil War era, bringing the soldiers much needed supplies.

In the 1860's, the northerners came in droves to Florida on the steamboat. The steamboat trade flourished in the winter months; many northerners looking to take a leisurely ride down the river channels, something akin to a cruise line. They were able to see the "real Florida," with its rare species of birds in their natural habitat and nesting areas.

They could see cranes, ospreys, cormorants, even eagles flying about. Gators were a sight to behold, though at times, they were almost hunted to near extinction. The northerners had never seen such beauty, especially coming from the cold, bleak winter into a paradise. The native trees along the various river channels were and still are massive; with scaly overgrown palms, rich flora and fauna, native exotic plants, orchids and the beauty of the water in general. Dolphins could also be spotted in the river channels close to the Atlantic Ocean as well. Until the advent of the railroad in the 1890's, and Henry Flagler's East Coast Railway line, traveling by steamboat was the way to come and explore all the mystery and beauty of the sunshine state.