In 1810 Nicholas J.Roosevelt, the latter USA President Teddy Roosevelt great grand-uncle, and a former engine builder of Robert Livingston, took a construction crew to Pittsburgh for building the first Mississippi steamboat, the building of the vessel was under the direction of Robert Fulton, and the vessel was modeled after the CLERMONT and other boats built by Fulton.
The building was with much hardship, they had to go in the forest and cut down trees and drag the logs down to the Monongahela and raft them to the makeshift shipyard.
When rain came the river got swollen and much material was lost when the yard was flooded, even when the hull was about ready the river rose again, and threatening to launch her before she was ready.
Livingston and Fulton owned her, they founded the Ohio Steam Navigation Company.
17 March 1811 launched under the name NEW ORLEANS.
Dim. 116 x 20 x7ft (draught) Tonnage about 200 burden.
One cyl. low pressure steam engine. Wood fired. Side-wheel paddle steamer. Wooden hull. Two masts.
Building cost $40.000.
When she was ready Roosevelt advertised for passengers, but not any turned up for a passage, most frontier men found the passage to dangerous. Fare to New Orleans is given as $30
On 20 October 1811 the NEW ORLEANS unmoored at Pittsburg, and steamed downstream, with on board, a captain, engineer, a pilot Mr. Jack, six deckhands and stokers, a cook and waiter, two female servants, also on board was Roosevelt and his pregnant wife Lydia, and a large Newfoundland dog, Tiger.
29 October 1811 she arrived at Louisville where Lydia gave birth to a son. She stayed in Louisville till 8 December due to the low level of the river for passing the rapids. When the water-level rose they continued the voyage. She passed safely the Falls of the Ohio River and sailed to Yellow Bank, Indiana
On 16 December at this place at anchor they felt the first shock of the New Madrid earthquake, which changed the shape of the river and the land.
The voyage farther got very dangerous, the pilot Mr. Jack was baffled by the absence of old trees and landmarks that marked the channel.
At Henderson they survey the vessel for damage caused by the earthquake. On 16 December the Mississippi was reached and she passed New Madrid, Point Pleasant and Little Prairie.
30 December she arrived at Natchez, Mississippi, and on 10 January 1812 arrived in New Orleans.
Thereafter used in the lower Mississippi River between New Orleans and Natchez.
July 1814 she hit a snag, and sank near Baton Rouge.
USA 1989 25c sg239, scott?
Marshall Islands 2017 49c sg ?, scott?
Source: http://members.tripod.com/~Write4801/docs/moboats.html http://members.tripod.com/Write4801/riverboats/n-1.html
Sidewheeler Saga, A Chronicle of Steamboating by Ralph Nading Hill. Ships of the World by Lincoln P. Paine.