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Donald A. McDonald
Donald Alexander McDonald (January 1, 1833 - February 11, 1906) was a steamboat owner and lumberman from La Crosse, Wisconsin, who served in both houses of the state legislature as well as being a candidate for mayor of that city. Background McDonald was born in Gairloch in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, on January 1, 1833. In June 1844 he moved with his family to Dundas, Canada West. There he received an academic education in the common schools until 1853, when he moved to nearby Hamilton. In Wisconsin In 1855 he moved to Wisconsin and settled in Trempealeau where he went into the lumbering business, and remained for some time. He moved to La Crosse in 1869 where he engaged in lumbering and the operating of steamboats. In 1873 McDonald, who had held various education-related local offices, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly from La Crosse County as a member of the Liberal Reform Party (a recently formed coalition of Democrats, reform and Liberal Republicans, and G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S (for 'Screw Steamer') or PS (for 'Paddle Steamer'); however, these designations are most often used for steamships. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to smaller, insular, steam-powered boats working on lakes and rivers, particularly riverboats. As using steam became more reliable, steam power became applied to larger, ocean-going vessels. Background Limitations of the Newcomen steam engine Early steamboat designs used Newcomen atmospheric engine, Newcomen steam engines. These engines were large, heavy, and produced little power, which resulted in an unfavorable power-to-weight ratio. The Newcomen engine also produced a reciprocating or rocking motion because it was designed for pumping. The piston stroke was caused by a water jet i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
