Steamboats on the Missouri River were once an extremely important means of transportation for both people and products coming to Nebraska. The Nebraska State Historical Society holds a number of great resources of information about steamboat travel and navigation. Here is an image of a typical steamboat found on the Missouri River in the 1870s.
Image of the steamboat “Red Cloud” on the Missouri (NSHS RG2593.PH0-000021) (left).
Besides photographs, the NSHS Archives also holds various reminiscences, diaries and letters describing steamboat travel. Here is a bill of lading for the Evening Star.
Evening Star bill of lading (NSHS RG0980.AM) (left).
If you’re interested in the history of steamboat travel, just contact our Library/Archives Division for more information!
-Tom Mooney, Curator of Manuscripts