The following information about the steamers which operated in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the California Gold Rush is from John Haskell Kemble's The Panama Route, 1848-1869. The book is unique in its comprehensive study of the history of this maritime route which was so important to the development of the Western United States. A must read for Western Americana history buffs, it was originally published in 1943 by University of California, Berkeley, Publishing, again by New York Library Editions, Ltd. (1970), and most recently by the University of South Carolina Press (1990; ISBN: 0-87249-697-X ).

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by Henry Steers, Long Island, New York, for the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. in 1867 and 1868. Launched on November 27, 1867, she entered the Pacific Mail service between New York and Aspinwall August 2, 1868, through June, 1869. Engaged later in Pacific Mail's San Francisco - Hong Kong service, she was rebuilt in 1882 and served as a "coal hulk" and store ship at Acapulco until after 1885.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by William H. Brown, New York. Launched in April, 1853, and sailed from New York for Aspinwall with passengers on October 20, 1853. Continued to San Francisco, where she entered the coastwise service northward to Humboldt Bay, Crescent City, Port Orford, and the Umpqua River. Burned at Crescent City, California, June, 1855.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by Henry Steers, Long Island, New York, for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Launched January 19, 1865, she entered service on the New York - Aspinwall run March 1, 1866, and continued through June 1869. Broken up in San Francisco in 1877.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by William H. Webb, New York, for the New York and Savannah Steam Navigation Company. Her keel was laid February 14, 1848 and she was launched June 12, 1848. Sailed on her first voyage to Savannah on October 3, 1848. Purchased by Howland and Aspinwall for the New York - Chagres line, and operated on it beginning December 13, 1849. The Cherokee burned at her dock at the foot of Warren Street, New York, on the evening of August 27, 1853. She was scuttled to save her from complete destruction and was floated again August 31, 1853. She was not burned below the water line, some of her cargo was salvaged and her engine was not damaged. She did not return to the New York - Chagres service.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by Jeremiah Simonson, Greenpoint, Long Island, in 1863, for Cornelius Vanderbilt. Originally called the Commodore, she operated as the Costa Rica, between New York and Aspinwall from July 1864, until the summer of 1865, when she was purchased by the pacific mail Steamship Company. She continued on the same route until the spring of 1866, when she sailed from New York to Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Yokohama via the Cape of Good Hope (April 1, 1867). She remained in the Far East and was sold to the Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Company in 1875 and renamed Genaki Maru. Known to be still in the Far East in 1879.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by William H. Brown, New York, in 1847 - 1848 for Isaac Newton, Charles Stoddart, J. P. Whitney and Company, and J. Howard and Son for service between New York and New Orleans. Entered the New York - Chagres service December 23, 1848, for J. Howard and Son. Purchased by Charles Morgan and associates in January, 1849, but continued to be operated by the Howards. Passed under the control of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company in October, 1850, and early in 1851 was sold to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company for $187,500. She ran regularly from New York to Chagres until the summer of 1852 and made a single voyage 1853. She was lost on a reef in the Gulf of Mexico in 1856.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by William H. Brown, New York, for Cornelius Vanderbilt. Launched September 20, 1851, her first voyage from New York to San Juan de Nicaragua for Vanderbilt was on November 22, 1851. Continued to operate from New York and New Orleans to San Juan and later to Aspinwall for Vanderbilt and Charles Morgan until 1859. She was chartered to the Quartermaster's Department, War Department, in 1861, 1862 - 1863, and 1863 - 1865 at $25,000 per job, and $400 to $900 per day. Went down October 3, 1866, en route to Mobile.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by Thomas Collyer, New York. Launched December 2, 1850. Owned by Captain J. J. Wright, she was purchased by Howland and Aspinwall, and again before completion to the United States Mail Steamship Company. Originally names Caribbean, she entered service in 1851 on the New York - Chagres run, after one voyage from New York to Chagres with laborers for the Panama Railroad (March 1851). Continued operation with the USMSC until 1853 when she was broken up and her engines were placed in the Moses Taylor.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by William H. Brown. Modeled for speed and very strong, she was said to be the first ocean vessel to have a deck house extending from stem to stern. Launched on March 10, 1849, for Isaac Newton, but sold in January, 1849, to Charles Morgan and associates. She sailed from New York to Chagres on her first voyage, July 17, 1849, for the Empire City Line, of which Charles Morgan was the chief owner and J. Howard and Son were agents. Taken over by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company in October, 1850, and sold to the United States Mail Steamship Company in 1851 for $225,000. Operated from New York to Chagres until 1856, and in 1860 she was still operating between New York and New Orleans, by way of Havana. Purchased by the War Department in January 1865, for $225,000 from Marshall O. Roberts, who had bought her at auction from the USMSC for $12,000. In 1868 she was in use on quarantine duty in New York harbor.

Wooden side-wheel steamer, built by William H. Webb of New York, for the United States Mail Steamship Company. Her keel was laid on March 25, 1852, and she was launched October 28, 1852. Entered the New York - Aspinwall service on October 20, 1853. Name changed to Central America in July, 1857, when George Law, who had been a director of the company at the time of her construction, was no longer connected with it.

The Central America foundered at sea in a severe gale between Havana and New York on September 12, 1857. The fires were allowed to go down, and the ship lost headway, falling into a trough of the sea, where she was literally beaten to pieces. About 423 lives and $8,000,000 in gold were lost with the ship.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Smith and Dimon, New York, for the United States Mail Steamship Company. Launched September 6, 1848, she entered the New York - Chagres service on January 28, 1850, and continued to operate to the Isthmus until February, 1854. The Georgia was partially wrecked in a gale in 1854. She was laid up in New York from 1854 to 1859, and subsequently condemned.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by William H. Webb, New York, for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Keel laid October 10, 1863; launched October 18, 1864. Entered New York - Aspinwall service for Pacific Mail November 1, 1865, and remained on this run through 1869. The Henry Chauncey burned at sea off the coast of South Carolina on August 16, 1871, en route from New York to Kingston and Aspinwall. The hull was rebuilt and she was sold to Elbert Stannard on July 18, 1877, for $19,000.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Smith and Dimon of New York, for the United States Mail Steamship Company. Entered the New York - Chagres service for the USMSC on August 26, 1851, and remained in it until the spring of 1859. Although not suffering complete destruction, the Illinois did run aground on a reef near Havana in August, 1857. She was sold at auction to Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1860 and placed on his New York - Havre run that year. She was chartered by the War Department during the Civil War and from October, 1863, to June, 1864, she again ran between New York and Aspinwall for Marshall O. Roberts. After the Civil War the Illinois served as a quarantine ship at Hoffman's Island in lower New York Harbor until about 1900.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by Jeremiah Simonson, Greenpoint, Long Island, for Cornelius Vanderbilt. Launched June 16, 1864, she entered service between New York and Aspinwall September, 1865. After 2 voyages she was sold to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and continued on the same run until April, 1867. The New York was sent to the Far East as a spare steamer on August 2, 1867, until sold by the Pacific Mail to the Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Company in 1875. She was renamed the Tokio Maru and was still operating in 1878.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Jeremiah Simonson, Greenpoint, Long Island, in 1853, for Cornelius Vanderbilt. Originally used as a private yacht for Vanderbilt, she entered the New York - Aspinwall service in February, 1854. From September, 1854, until January, 1855, she was operated by the United States Mail Steamship Company. In 1855 she was withdrawn to enter Vanderbilt's transatlantic service, returning to the New York - Aspinwall service for Vanderbilt in June, 1859. She was periodically chartered by the Quartermaster's Department during the Civil War while continuing to voyage to Aspinwall between tours of duty, until February, 1865. She was broken up at New London, Connecticut, in 1865.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Jeremiah Simonson, New York, in 1851, for Cornelius Vanderbilt. She entered service on the New York to San Juan de Nicaragua in May 1852 and continued this until February 1856. In September, 1857, she was placed on the New York-Aspinwall line of the United States Mail Steamship Company. She was chartered by the War Department during the Civil War. She was sold twice more, the latter being to the New York and Bremen Steamship Company (1867) for their service in 1868-69. Last owned by Henry F. Hammill, she was broken up in 1875.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by J. A. Westervelt and Sons, New York. Launched April 8, 1857, she was ostensibly constructed for Charles Morgan and Sons, but actually for the San Francisco - Nicaragua line of Morgan and Garrison. Originally christened the Queen of the Pacific, Vanderbilt purchased her and and renamed her Ocean Queen. Initially employed on Vanderbilt's transatlantic service until 1861, she was chartered by the Quartermaster's Department, War Department (1861-62), and entered in the New York - Aspinwall service in October, 1862. Purchased by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, she was sold in June 1869 to Ruger Brothers, for whom she made one voyage from New York to France, Prussia, and Denmark. She was broken up in 1874.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Bishop and Simonson, New York, for the United States Mail Steamship Company. She was launched in 1848 and entered service from New York to Chagres via Charleston, Savannah, Havana, and New Orleans on September 20, 1849. She was withdrawn from service along with the SS Georgia in 1854 (see "partial wreck" of the SS Georgia, above), and laid up in New York until 1859. She was broken up in 1860.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Jacob A. Westervelt and Company New York (January 14, 1854), for the New York-New Orleans-Vera Cruz line of Morgan and Harris. She made two voyages from New York to San Juan de Nicaragua in April and May, 1856, but was sent to San Francisco (arriving October 30, 1856) for service on the San Francisco-Panama run. In 1865 she was sold to the California Steam Navigation Company and served on the San Francisco-Portland-Victoria run. She continued service on the Pacific coast until broken up in 1887.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Jeremiah Simonson, New York, for Cornelius Vanderbilt. Launched August 3, 1850, she went into service on December 26, 1850, on the New York - San Juan de Nicaragua run. She later continued in this service with Charles Morgan, until September, 1854, when placed on the New York to New Orleans and San Juan run. The dates of her withdrawal from service and condemnation are not clear.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by Roosevelt, Joyce and Waterbury, New York, in 1865, for the New York Mail Steamship Company. Sold to Pacific Mail Steamship Company, she operated from New York to Aspinwall from December, 1866, through 1869.Eventually sold to John Roach in February, 1875, she was broken up in 1877.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by William Collyer, New York, and launched as the Texas, October 25, 1851. Operated from New York to Chagres from February until October, 1852, by the Empire City Line and originally advertised for this line as the Quartz Rock. Made trial trip as the Sierra Nevada on February 7, 1852, she was eventually purchased by Cornelius Vanderbilt and sent to San Francisco, where she arrived March 23, 1853. She remained on the San Francisco - San Juan del Sur service until March 1857, and later purchased by the Pacific Mail (1860) and placed in coastal service. In February, 1861, she was purchased by Holladay and Brenham and was wrecked on a reef south of Monterey on October 17, 1869.

Operated on the New York - Aspinwall run by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Jeremiah Simonson, New York, for Cornelius Vanderbilt and launched on June 17, 1852. She entered service on the New York - San Juan de Nicaragua run for Vanderbilt (October 20, 1852) and continued in this run with Charles Morgan from July, 1853, until March, 1856. Began running the New York - Aspinwall run for the United States Mail Steamship Company (June, 1857) and was placed on their New York - Havana - New Orleans run in September, 1859. While chartered by the Quartermaster's Department, War Department, during the Civil War, she was seized by the Confederates and placed at New Orleans. In order to prevent her falling into Union hands upon the capture of New Orleans in 1862, she was burned. The SS Star of the West in the War of the Rebellion.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by Perine, Patterson and Stack, Williamsburg, New York, for Edward Mills. Launched September 28, 1852, and operated by Mills from New York to Aspinwall from December, 1852, until May, 1853. Sent to the Pacific June 20, 1853, for the Independent Opposition Line, she was purchased by Vanderbilt and placed on his Nicaragua Steamship Company line between San Francisco and San Juan del Sur. Later operated in the Pacific by the New York and California Steamship Company (1859) and by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company (1860-61). Sold to James S. Hermann and Company of Panama (February, 1866), she was lost in 1876.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer built by Thomas Collyer, New York, in 1851, as the Bienville. Owned by Henry W. Johnson and others, she chartered to the New York and Galway Line in November, 1851. Operated between New York and Chagres from January, 1852, until February, 1853. Sold to Cuban owners in 1855 and renamed Mexico.

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Westervelt and Mackay, New York. Launched October 27, 1850, the Winfield Scott was intended for service between San Francisco and Panama. Arriving in San Francisco April 28, 1852, she operated for the Independent Line until the end of that year, and for the New York and San Francisco Steamship Company from February until April, 1853. Purchased by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company (July, 1853), she was lost on Anacapa Island when southbound for Panama on December 2, 1853. She struck in a dense fog, and though passengers, mail, and treasure were safely landed, the ship filled and sank.

SS YANKEE BLADE

Wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Perine, Patterson and Stack, New York, 1853. Owned by Edward Mills and made a single from New York to Aspinwall for his Independent Opposition Line in December-January, 1853-54. Sailed for California on February 2, 1854, and arrived in San Francisco May 4, 1854. Operated between San Francisco and Panama until wrecked, southbound on Point Arguello, October 10, 1854. Thirty lives and $153,000 in specie lost.

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