Getting There : Water3

Journey by Sea :
Steamboats

Steamboats
Sailing vessels were dependent on wind and weather. Inventors began experimenting with steam-powered boats in the late 1700s, but it wasn’t until Robert Fulton’s success in Albany with the side-wheeler Clermont in 1806 that steamboats became viable. Steamboats were not dependent on wind. The use of steam power allowed for regular journeys with scheduled departures and arrivals for both passengers and freight.

		The first steamboat to sail into Plymouth was the Eagle, in 1818. Traveling at about 5 miles per hour, the Eagle took 8 hours to paddle from Boston to Plymouth. The Eagle was not destined for travel to Plymouth, and soon began service between Boston and Nantasket.
Steamship Eagle Oil on Canvas, c 1900 by Fred Pansing (1844-1912)

Steamboat service was started between the Plymouth and Boston in 1828 with the steamer Lafayette. There was already stagecoach service to Boston however, so there was not sufficient need for a steamer line. Service was discontinued the next year.

By the late 1830s, steamboat service resumed to Boston. The newer steamers were much faster, covering the 55 miles in 3 1/2 to 4 hours, in about the same time as the stagecoach. While some steamers carried passengers for business, others were excursion boats which ran trips for visitors in the summer as early as 1839.

In the late 1800s, the steamer arrived at noon and left at 4, providing visitors with four hours to see the sights of Plymouth aboard the carriages which waited at the wharf. At the right is the canopy over Plymouth Rock (the current portico was built in 1921).

Steamboat lines soon connected with new railroad lines. Service from New York to Fall River began in 1846. From Fall River, travelers connected to Boston by rail, thereby avoiding the dangerous sea voyage around Cape Cod. The New York to Boston route via Fall River is known as "America’s oldest through route." Steamers brought passengers to Fall River through 1937.

By the 1920s, steamers provided not only transportation, but excursions for recreation as well. Although the Depression hurt steamboat lines, they revived after World War II to provide excursion service between Boston and Plymouth. Many boats featured entertainments like dance bands.

The Fall River Line
With the establishment of a railroad line to Fall River in 1847, the port city became an important link on the through route from New York to Boston. One of the best known steamship companies was the Fall River Line.

The Fall River Line was known for its fast, luxurious ships. The 176-mile journey from New York to Fall River took between 8 1/2 and 9 hours. Ships like the Pilgrim, Puritan and Plymouth were known as "floating palaces" with elaborate, gilt Renaissance interiors. The ships carried more than 1200 passengers each, and were popular among the elite :

...her furniture and upholstery are of the finest materials, design and finish.. Here one meets the elite of every land... representing the wealth and culture of every nation and people.

After the construction of the Cape Cod Canal in 1914, the Fall River Line ships sailed through the Canal to Boston. Many families drove down to the canal on Sunday night to watch the ships pass through.