Set of 4: 1989 Steamboat Series

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USA25 ^25 DRLEANS Experiment 178 1989 20113 Vohn Swath LA ^25 Phoenix 1809 ORLEATS 1989 70113 LA ^25 New Orleans RLEANS 1989 70113 LA ^25 Washington 1816 ORLEANS 1989 Z0113 vilm furatilay LA

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STEAMBOAT EXPERIMENT — 1788-1790 First Day of Issue: March 3, 1989 First Issue Location: New Orleans, Louisiana In the early 1780's, an inventor named John Fitch and an engineer named Henry Voight built a steamboat pro- pelled by six twelve-foot vertical oars placed on either side of the craft. She proved extremely slow, and by 1788 the two men had redesigned their vessel using three rectangular paddles operating aft of the stern rather than many oars positioned along the sides. They christened their craft the Experiment, and put her into commercial service on the Delaware, making the trip from Philadel- phia to Burlington and Trenton, New Jersey. But she was just too slow for commercial operations — the steamboat trip took longer than the journey by stagecoach. Conse- quently, the little steamer consistently lost money on her voyages and was withdrawn from service in the summer of 1790. Nevertheless, she was a pioneer in American steamboating in two regards. She was the first vessel in American waters to actually move under her own steam, and the first commercial American steamboat. No. 89-6 ©1989 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by John Swatsley STEAMBOAT PHOENIX — 1809 First Day of Issue: March 3, 1989 First Issue Location: New Orleans, Louisiana In the beginning of the steamboat era, two gentlemen by the names of Fulton and Livingston had a monopoly on steamboat operation in the New York area. John Stevens, Jr., a wealthy New Jersey inventor who had also been involved in steamboat development for many years, launched his own steamboat, the Phoenix, in defiance of the Fulton-Livingston monopoly of the area. Stevens worked his steamboat on the Hudson and in New Jersey waters for close to a year, and then decided to move her to the Delaware, far from Fulton-Livingston territory. It was a weighty decision, for it meant that the craft would have to steam through over 150 miles of open water. Nev- ertheless, the Phoenix put to sea, with Captain Moses Rogers as her master. Thirteen days later, after several delays due to bad weather and engine trouble, the Phoenix reached Philadelphia. The successful comple- tion of her treacherous journey earned the little side- wheeler her place in American history. She was the first ocean-going steamboat in the world! No. 89-7 ©1989 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by John Swatsley STEAMBOAT NEW ORLEANS — 1812 First Day of Issue: March 3, 1989 First Issue Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Nicholas J. Roosevelt had a dream: he wanted to build steamboats for use on the Mississippi River. He ap- proached Robert Livingston and Robert Fulton, who had a monopoly on steamboat operation in New York. They were interested in establishing the same control on west- ern rivers, and chose Nicholas Roosevelt as their western representative. Roosevelt built a flatboat and floated down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Along the way, he discussed steamboating with the rivermen, who gave him no encouragement. They believed that swift currents and shifting bottoms would make it impossible to use steam- boats on the river. Nevertheless, Roosevelt built a steam- boat, the New Orleans, to run the Mississippi. Her maiden voyage was adventurous and filled with near disaster, but after some three-and-a-half months, the boat reached her destination successfully. The New Orleans was immedi- ately put into regular service and became the beginning of a mighty company that carried freight and passengers between New Orleans and Natchez, Mississippi. No. 89-8 ©1989 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by John Swatsley STEAMBOAT WASHINGTON — 1816 First Day of Issue: March 3, 1989 First Issue Location: New Orleans, Louisiana When steamboats arrived on the Mississippi River, it soon became evident that the boats would have to evolve to meet the requirements of the river. A steamboat was needed that would draw less water; it had to move on the water instead of through it. The craft would need a wide, shallow hull, with heavy boilers and machinery on top of the hull rather than inside it. Captain Henry Shreve took an important step toward building such a steamboat in 1816 with the Washington. Shreve incorporated two changes. He built a deck over the hull and placed the heavy boilers on this deck, and he replaced the bulky low- pressure engine used on older steamboats with a new, high-pressure engine. Not only did the new engine pro- duce enough power for the strong currents of the river, it also made the boat much lighter. The Washington could make the trip from New Orleans to Louisville in twenty- five days, an amazing feat in her time. The success of the Washington spurred design development, and soon other steamboats were being built like her. No. 89-9 ©1989 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by John Swatsley