St. Louis River Scenes

Antique Metro St. Louis Postcard Collection

Scott K. Williams, Florissant, Mo.

Originally named "Hill City", the steamboat Corwin H. Spencer was renamed in 1904 for the 1904 World's Fair. In St. Louis it operated during the fair as an excursion steamer. It did not last long for she burned near Jefferson Barracks, Thursday Oct. 12, 1905. This particular card, published by St. Louis Post Card Co., was postmarked in 1908, so the ship was already history by this time.

 

The steamboat Quincy at the St. Louis riverfront, St. Louis News Co., postmarked 1911. This is at least the fourth steamboat by the name Quincy. The pictured Quincy was built in 1896. She was a very popular boat but sunk in July 1906. She was raised reequipped with new boilers, extra guest rooms were added and in 1911 ran from St. Louis to New Orleans. Her last run was in 1917. She was the last side-wheeler in the St. Louis-New Orleans route.

 

 

 

This is the steamboat "Quincy", sunk in the Mississippi River.

She was a favorite subject in many later postcards where she is commonly pictured as being docked next to Eads Bridge. The "Quincy" was built in 1896 at Dubugue Iowa and ran the Diamond Jo Line from St. Louis to St. Paul, Minn.   She sunk in the Mississippi River in July 1906 near Trempeleau Mountain, Wisconsin. But that was not the end of her as she was raised and continued to serve through 1917. The photographer's name, etched on the postcard "Gunderson" was the cause of the confusion (which I thought was the name of the boat). Thanks to Bryan Goetz for helping on this one.

 

 

Shipping scene with dock/loading barge for the Grey Eagle steamboat. Eads Bridge in background. Real photo, published by the St. Louis News Company; postmarked 1906. This Grey Eagle was at least the tenth steamboat by that name. This boat (her stacks and upper deck can be seen  behind the loading barge.) was built in 1892. Much of her structure was created from the Calhoun.  She ran the St. Louis to Vicksburg route until damaged at St. Louis during the 1896 cyclone.  She was repaired and used for excursions until 1918 when she was crushed by ice at Paducah, Kentucky.

 

Another levee scene from a postcard published by Adolph Selige Publishing Company, St. Louis- Leipzig. Printed in Germany. Postmarked 1909.

 

Two Steamboats pass two children at the St. Louis riverfront. Circa 1901-1907.

 

U.S. Engineers steamboats at St. Louis. The larger being the U.S. Snagboat Wright. Snagboats removed tree trunks that created great hazards to the wooden hulled boats. This card published by the St. Louis News Co., circa 1907-1915.

Eads Bridge, V. O. Hammon Pub. Co., postmarked 1910.

 

Loading floating barges at Laclede's Landing, beacon series, circa 1912.

 

Cargo in wood barrels sitting on St. Louis Riverfront, Beacon series, published circa 1912-1915.

 

 

U.S. Training Ship, Huntress stationed at St. Louis, Mo. J.S. McDermott Post Cards, postmarked 1912.

 

 

Steamboat passing through locks near St. Louis. The city in the background probably is Alton, Illinois. Paul Monroe Co.; Linen card, circa 1930-1945.  (Due to possible copyright implications, this one is not available to reproduce).

 

Eads Bridge and steamboat landing; V.O. Hammon Pub. Co.; postmarked 1915

 


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St. Louis Metro River Postcards Page Two

St. Louis Metro River Postcards Page Three

 

 

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Website created by Scott K. Williams, Florissant, St. Louis County, Missouri. USA