The ''Okeehumkee'', also known as "Queen of the Ocklawaha River," was a river
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 ...
that provided transportation along
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
rivers in the late 19th century. The ''Okeehumkee'' was equipped with a paddle wheel positioned in the lower stern part of the boat which allowed it to traverse narrow and shallow rivers.
The steamboat was the longest-serving craft of its type on the
Ocklawaha River
The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 21, 2011 Ocklawaha River flows north from central Florida until it joins the St. Johns River near Palatka. Its name is derived ...
route, remaining in service for 43 years.
Description
The ''Okeehumkee'' measured long by wide,
and consisted of a flat-bottom hull, a lower cargo deck and two upper passenger decks. A recessed
stern
The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Ori ...
paddle wheel
A paddle wheel is a form of waterwheel or impeller in which a number of paddles are set around the periphery of the wheel. It has several uses, of which some are:
* Very low-lift water pumping, such as flooding paddy fields at no more than about ...
provided propulsion, powered by a wood-burning steam boiler engine. The boat was outfitted with shutters on the windows to keep tree branches out and a livestock pen at the rear of the boat, on the upper deck.
The ''Okeehumkee'' was alternately called ''Okeehumkee II'', ''Okahumka'', ''Okahumpka'', and ''Okeehumpkee''.
History
The ''Okeehumkee'' was built in 1873 by
Hubbard Hart, founder of the Ocklawaha Navigation Company's Hart's Line, at his
East Palatka Hart's Point shipyard. It was named after a Native American chief from the area of the Ocklawaha lakes.
The boat was outfitted with shutters on the windows to keep tree branches out and a livestock pen at the rear of the boat, on the upper deck.
The boat was altered several times throughout its service lifetime, including moving the pilot house to the top deck.
In 1893, a second deck of cabins was added.
The ''Okeehumkee'' was alternately called ''Okeehumkee II'', ''Okahumka'', ''Okahumpka'', and ''Okeehumkee''.
In 1886, the boat was altered to expand the upper cabin deck in both length and width. Over the next several years, other minor alterations were made. In 1893, another cabin deck was added.
The ''Okeehumkee'' was still in service as of 1910.
The steamboat era declined in the early 20th century, replaced by railroad travel. In 1919, Hart's Line ceased operation and the ''Okeehumkee'' was moored at Hart's Point shipyard in East Palatka along with another steamboat, the ''Hiawatha''. By the late 1930s, the ''Okeehumkee'' had been dismantled.
Further reading
* Mueller, Edward, ''Ocklawaha River Steamboats'', 1983
* Mueller, Edward, ''Along the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers'', 1999
* Gallant, Gene, ''Glimpses into Marion County's Past: The Colorful Era of Riverboating on the Ocklawaha River'', 1992
References
{{Reflist, 2
External links
1886 photograph of the riverboat Okeehumkeeat the
World Digital Library
The World Digital Library (WDL) is an international digital library operated by UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress.
The WDL has stated that its mission is to promote international and intercultural understanding, expand the volume ...
Gallery of ''Okeehumkee'' images at Florida Memory
Steamboats of Florida