Steamboats

In the early 19th century, several steamboats sporadically operated on North Carolina waters, including the Neuse and Cape Fear rivers and the Pamlico Sound, but proved only marginally successful. Despite the development of steamboat service on other North Carolina rivers, steamboats did not appear on the Tar River until 1836 (Lawrence 2003:11). But by the early 19th century, major trading points along the Tar River included Washington, Tarboro, Old Sparta, and Greenville. Plantation flats and other vessels also departed from landings along the Tar River including (in order, traveling downriver from Tarboro): Carr’s Landing, Penny Hill, Dupree’s Landing, Pillsboro, Bensboro, Centre Bluff, Reaves’ Landing, Gohram’s Landing, Guaff’s Point, Slaughter House Point, Redbanks Landing, Barbers’ Landing, Simpsons’ Landing, Taft’s Landing, Boyd’s Ferry, Grimes’ Landing, and Yankee Hall (Cotton 1935:50). In addition, citizens living near Greenville and Tarboro wished to import manufactured goods upriver, such as sugar, and exotic wares from Washington markets and the West Indies. Two businessmen from Washington were aware of the desires of local citizens to develop upriver trade lines and applied for a monopoly on steam navigation on the Tar-Pamlico River (Bridgers 1978:23).

Of the ten antebellum steamboats mentioned in newspapers, Washington builders constructed E. D. McNair, Wilson, and Red Skull, while other antebellum Tar River steamboat owners chose to purchase vessels built at shipyards located in northern states. Antebellum attempts to build steamboats at Washington demonstrated that local builders apparently did not have a full understanding of the navigational issues the Tar River presented, or were unable to address the issues with the available technology (Tarboro Southerner 1855:2; Myers 1884:2).

Photograph showing Washington residents lining the waterfront before boarding the steamboat for an excursion offered by the R. L. Myers (II), which can be seen in the background (Courtesy of Bridgers Collection, Outer Banks History Center).
Photograph of upriver steamboat, believed to be Greenville, on the Tar River (Courtesy of Bridgers Collection, Outer Banks History Center).
Photograph of the steamboat Tarboro (II) viewed from stern to bow (Courtesy of Bridgers Collection, Outer Banks History Center).
Photograph of the Shiloh Oil Mills of Tarboro Oil Company, located two miles above Tarboro (Courtesy of Bridgers Collection, Outer Banks History Center).

The southerner. [volume] (Tarboro’, Edgecombe Co., (N.C.)), 12 July 1856. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The southerner. [volume] (Tarboro’, Edgecombe Co., (N.C.)), 12 July 1856. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The southerner. [volume] (Tarboro’, Edgecombe Co., (N.C.)), 18 July 1857. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The southerner. [volume] (Tarboro’, Edgecombe Co., (N.C.)), 04 Dec. 1852. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The southerner. [volume] (Tarboro’, Edgecombe Co., (N.C.)), 01 Aug. 1867. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The Tarboro’ southerner. [volume] (Tarboro’, N.C.), 19 Sept. 1872. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.), 27 March 1866. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The Tarboro’ southerner. [volume] (Tarboro’, N.C.), 13 Feb. 1873. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress

Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.), 12 Nov. 1862. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

Our living and our dead. [volume] (Newbern [i.e. New Bern], N.C.), 08 April 1874. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.), 15 Dec. 1869. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.), 07 Sept. 1849. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The southerner. [volume] (Tarboro’, Edgecombe Co., (N.C.)), 02 April 1853. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

The southerner. [volume] (Tarboro’, Edgecombe Co., (N.C.)), 04 Dec. 1852. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.