About Way's Directories
From OUP
"Containing almost 6,000 entries, Way’s Packet Directory includes a majority of combination passenger and freight steamers, but includes in a broader sense all types of passenger carriers propelled by steam that plied the waters of the Mississippi System."
[Regarding Way's Steam Towboat Directory] "Captain Frederick Way, Jr., aided by Joseph W. Rutter, gathered together this wealth of information concerning steamboats that shoved river barges … this thorough and remarkable reference guide helps preserve their history."
From S&D's Fred Rutter, grandson of Capt. Frederick Way, Jr.
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About Capt. Fred Way, Jr. and the S&D Reflector
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About FRED - Fred's Riverboat Electronic Database
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Why bother with digitizing a steamboat directory?
The steamboat was the critical means of transportation enabling the westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century, but its role in American history is not generally well-known. These vessels carried more than just cargo and passengers. They carried stories: stories of individuals, stories of regions and localities, and the story of the development of American prosperity.
It is fitting, therefore, that scholarly attention be brought to the topic of steam navigation on America's inland waterways. By digitizing Way's Packet and Steam Towboat Directories, we hope to empower researchers with the database and retrieval tools they need to better educate the general public on the proper place of the Western rivers steamboat in our shared cultural heritage.
About the addenda
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