Steamers
Steamers, or steamboats, appeared on Lake Champlain around 1870, at which time boat travel peaked. Recreational boating gained popularity during the 1860s, and steamboats offered recreational excursions on Lake Champlain. The real boom for steamboats, however, was the early 1900s, and recreational boating surged during the 1910s. By the 1927, at which time the automobile was dominant, steamboat excursions were declining. Service was suspended during the depression, and a number of steamers were sold off. During the advent of auto ferries in the 1920s, many steamboats transformed into makeshift ferries.
Following is a list of a few of the many steamboats that operated on Lake Champlain during the late 19th and early 20th century. Steamboats were not, however, limited to Lake Champlain. Many also operated on Vermont's rivers.
"Vermont II" (1871-1903)
"The Chateauguay" (1888-1930s)
"Ticonderoga" (in operation until 1929 and moved to Shelburne Museum in 1955)
The top image is an illustration of the Mountain Maid Steamer in 1860. The middle image is the Reindeer Steamer, photographed in 1886. The bottom image is a 1929 photograph of the Ticonderoga. Notice some of the differences between the three steamboats. The Ticonderoga appears longer and taller and has just a single smokestack. The large wheels on the side of the Mountain Maid and Reindeer are characteristic of the 19th century steamboats.
1860 Mountain Maid Steamer: Image courtesy of J. Kevin Graffagnino, Vermont in the Victorian Age, 1985
1886 Reindeer Steamer: Image courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program and the Fletcher Free Library
1860 Ticonderoga Steamer: Image courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program and the Fletcher Free Library
