From 1852 through 1909, Colorado Steamships ferried people and supplies up and down the Colorado River to mining camps and outposts. Following the discovery of gold in California, westward expansion of the United States was on the mind of most people seeking their fortune of livelihood. Wagon trains, horses and trains all brought people deep into the new county seeking their fortune. Lesser known is the role of the steamships, which brought supplies and people up the Colorado River from Baja California to the Green River in Wyoming.
In November of 1952, the steamship Uncle Sam launched steamship service on the Colorado River. The modest vessel was powered from mesquite wood to boil the water required to turn its paddle wheel located at the stern. The steamboat was capable of hauling some 40 tons of supplies up the river. Steamship service on the river proved to be a lifeline to early settlers of Arizona and California.
The steamers of the Colorado River range in size from just thirty five feet in length to over one hundred and forty nine feet. These purposes built ships, some of which could haul up to two hundred and thirty six tons of goods and people, could navigate the swift flowing river with just thirty inches of draft. The Colorado Steamships stern paddle wheels gained the best drive reputation for navigating with heavy flowing water of the Colorado with its ever shifting sand bars.
Steamships of the Colorado River operated six hundred miles from the gulf of Baja California up to Rioville, Nevada which is now submerged beneath Lake Mead. They ships helped open the south west and were the kings of the Colorado River Valley until competition from the local railroads took over the market. Sadly, although necessary, the damming of the Colorado River starting in 1905 locked the river up and prevents along distance travel on the Colorado River and doomed Colorado Steamships completely.
Colorado River Steamship Landings
| Potholes, California, From 1859 | 18 mi (29 km) |
| La Laguna, Arizona Territory, 1860-1863 | 20 mi (32 km) |
| Castle Dome Landing, Arizona Territory, 1863-1884 | 35 mi (56 km) |
| Eureka, Arizona Territory, 1863-1870s | 45 mi (72 km) |
| Williamsport, Arizona Territory, 1863-1870s | 47 mi (76 km) |
| Picacho, California, 1862-1910 | 48 mi (77 km) |
| Nortons Landing, Arizona Territory, 1882-1894 | 52 mi (84 km) |
| Clip, Arizona Territory, 1882-1888 | 70 mi (110 km) |
| California Camp, California | 72 mi (116 km) |
| Camp Gaston, California, 1859-1867 | 80 mi (130 km) |
| Drift Desert, Arizona Territory | 102 mi (164 km) |
| Bradshaw’s Ferry, California, 1862-1884 | 126 mi (203 km) |
| Mineral City, Arizona Territory, 1864-1866 | 126 mi (203 km) |
| Ehrenberg, Arizona Territory, from 1866 | 126.5 mi (203.6 km) |
| Olive City, Arizona Territory, 1862-1866 | 127 mi (204 km) |
| La Paz, Arizona Territory, 1862-1870 | 131 mi (211 km) |
| Parker’s Landing, Arizona Territory, 1864-1905 Camp Colorado, Arizona, 1864-1869 | 200 mi (320 km) |
| Parker, Arizona Territory, from 1908 | 203 mi (327 km) |
| Empire Flat, Arizona Territory, 1866-1905 | 210 mi (340 km) |
| Bill Williams River, Arizona | 220 mi (350 km) |
| Aubrey City, Arizona Territory, 1862-1888 | 220 mi (350 km) |
| Chimehuevis Landing, California | 240 mi (390 km) |
| Liverpool Landing, Arizona Territory | 242 mi (389 km) |
| Grand Turn, Arizona/California | 257 mi (414 km) |
| The Needles, Mohave Mountains, Arizona | 263 mi (423 km) |
| Mellen, Arizona Territory 1890 – 1909 | 267 mi (430 km) |
| Eastbridge, Arizona Territory 1883 – 1890 | 279 mi (449 km) |
| Needles, California, from 1883 | 282 mi (454 km) |
| Iretaba City, Arizona Territory, 1864 | 298 mi (480 km) |
| Fort Mohave, Arizona Territory, 1859-1890 Beale’s Crossing 1858 – | 300 mi (480 km) |
| Mohave City, Arizona Territory, 1864-1869 | 305 mi (491 km) |
| Hardyville, Arizona Territory, 1864-1893 Low Water Head of Navigation 1864-1881 | 310 mi (500 km) |
| Camp Alexander, Arizona Territory, 1867 | 312 mi (502 km) |
| Polhamus Landing, Arizona Territory Low Water Head of Navigation 1881-1882 | 315 mi (507 km) |
| Pyramid Canyon, Arizona/Nevada | 316 mi (509 km) |
| Cottonwood Island, Nevada Cottonwood Valley | 339 mi (546 km) |
| Quartette, Nevada, 1900-1906 | 342 mi (550 km) |
| Murphyville, Arizona Territory, 1891 | 353 mi (568 km) |
| Eldorado Canyon, Nevada, 1857-1905 Colorado City, Nevada 1861-1905 | 365 mi (587 km) |
| Explorer’s Rock, Black Canyon of the Colorado, Mouth, Arizona/Nevada | 369 mi (594 km) |
| Roaring Rapids, Black Canyon of the Colorado, Arizona/Nevada | 375 mi (604 km) |
| Ringbolt Rapids, Black Canyon of the Colorado, Arizona/Nevada | 387 mi (623 km) |
| Fortification Rock, Nevada High Water Head of Navigation, 1858-1866 | 400 mi (640 km) |
| Las Vegas Wash, Nevada | 402 mi (647 km) |
| Callville, Nevada, 1864-1869 High Water Head of Navigation 1866-78 | 408 mi (657 km) |
| Boulder Canyon, Mouth, Arizona/Nevada | 409 mi (658 km) |
| Stone’s Ferry, Nevada 1866-1876 | 438 mi (705 km) |
| Virgin River, Nevada | 440 mi (710 km) |
| Bonelli’s Ferry, 1876-1935 Rioville, Nevada 1869-1906 High Water Head of Navigation from 1879 to 1887 | 440 mi (710 km |
Colorado River Steamship Landings
Steamboats on the Colorado River
| Name | Type | Tons | Length | Beam | Launched | Disposition |
| Black Eagle | Screw | 40 feet | 6 feet | Green River, Utah June 1907 | Exploded 1907 | |
| Charles H. Spencer | Stern | 92.5 feet | 25 feet | Warm Creek, Arizona February 1912 | Abandoned Spring 1912 | |
| Cliff Dweller | Stern | 70 feet | 20 feet | Halverson’s Utah November 1905 | To Salt Lake April 1907 | |
| Cochan | Stern | 234 | 135 feet | 31 feet | Yuma, Arizona November 1899 | Dismantled Spring 1910 |
| Cocopah I | Stern | 140 feet | 29 feet | Gridiron, Mexico August 1859 | Dismantled 1867 | |
| Cocopah II | Stern | 231 | 147.5 feet | 28 feet | Yuma, Arizona March 1867 | Dismantled 1881 |
| Colorado I | Stern | 120 feet | Estuary, Mexico December 1855 | Dismantled August 1862 | ||
| Colorado II | Stern | 179 | 145 feet | 29 feet | Yuma, Arizona May 1862 | Dismantled August 1882 |
| Comet | Stern | 60 feet | 20 feet | Green River, Wyoming July 1908 | Abandoned 1908 | |
| Esmeralda | Stern | 93 feet | 13 feet | Robinson’s, Mexico December 1857 | Dismantled 1868 | |
| General Jesup | Side | 104 feet | 17 feet | Estuary, Mexico January, 1864 | Engine Removed 1858 | |
| General Rosales | Stern | Yuma, Arizona July 1878 | Dismantled 1859 | |||
| Gila | Stern | 236 | 149 feet | 31 feet | Port Isabel, Mexico January 1873 | Rebuilt as Cochan 1889 |
| Major Powell | Screw | 35 feet | 8 feet | Green River, Utah August 1891 | Dismantled 1894 | |
| Mohave I | Stern | 193 | 135 feet | 28 feet | Estuary, Mexico May 1864 | Dismantled 1875 |
| Mohave II | Stern | 188 | 149.5 feet | 31.5 feet | Port Isabel, Mexico February 1876 | Dismantled Jan 1900 |
| Nina Tilden | Stern | 120 | 97 feet | 22 feet | San Francisco, California July 1864 | Wrecked September 1874 |
| Retta | Stern | 36 feet | 6 feet | Yuma, Arizona 1900 | Sunk Feburary, 1905 | |
| St. Vallier | Stern | 92 | 74 feet | 17 feet | Needles, California Early 1899 | Sunk March 1909 |
| San Jorge | Screw | 38 feet | 9 feet | Yuma, Arizona June 1901 | To Gulf July 1901 | |
| Searchlight | Stern | 98 | 91 feet | 18feet | Needles, California December 1902 | Lost October 1916 |
| Uncle Sam | Side | 40 | 65 feet | 16 feet | Estuary, Mexico November 1852 | Sunk May 1853 |
| Undine | Stern | 60 feet | 10 feet | Green River, Utah November 1901 | Wrecked May 1902 |