The Steamboat Ticonderoga is the last remaining side wheel paddle boat with a vertical beam engine. She was built in 1906 and saw service on Lake Champlain until 1950 carrying freight and passengers on various routes and played an important role in the economy of the region. She ferried troops during both world wars. Farm animals and new cars could be seen on deck as she transited Lake Champlain.
By 1950 she was obsolete and could not compete with more modern vessels and was scheduled for scrapping. By a twist of fate, she was saved from destruction when a friend of Electra Havemeyer Webb convinced her to purchase the vessel for her growing museum in Shelburne, VT. After several years of trying to make a go of operating as a tourist vessel, it was decided that the Ticonderoga should be permanently moved to the museum. A special rail line was built to slowly move her the few miles to her final destination which took 55 days. Today she is enjoyed by a constant flow of visitors.
The Ticonderoga is maintained in excellent condition and nearly all of the spaces on the ship are available to visitors including the engine and boiler rooms. For anyone interested in classic American vessels, this is a must see.
5 comments:
What a great looking steamboat. It's sure nice that it was able to be saved as a museum instead of being left just to rot away somewhere like a lot of other old treasures.
What a beautiful looking steamboat. I am so glad that she was saved from the scrapeyard, that would just have been a shame.
Kevin and Ruth
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com
Isn't it grand when someone with a buck or two left over can make something like this happen? There are many treasures in this world, and of course they can't all be saved as museums, but the ones that are saved serve to keep us connected to our roots!
Another great piece of history preserved. The ship is a beauty and looks quite ship-shape.
I've seen a Coast Guard cox'n put a boat hard aground like that without any rails. :c(
Thanks for your comments on the Ft Pickens area. Enjoying browsing your blog.
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