Anchor Line (riverboat company) facts for kids

Anchor Line steamboat City of New Orleans at New Orleans levee on Mississippi River. View created as composite image from two stereoview photographs, ca. 1890.

The Anchor Line was a well-known steamboat company. It operated many boats on the Mississippi River. These boats traveled between St. Louis, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana. The company ran from 1859 until 1898. It was one of the most famous steamboat groups on the lower Mississippi River after the American Civil War.

History of the Anchor Line

Early Years: 1859-1879

Anchor Line steamboat at the levee, Natchez-Under-The-Hill, Natchez, Mississippi, before 1899. Postcard view, ca. 1907.

The company started in 1859. It was first called the Memphis and St. Louis Packet Line. It mainly served Memphis and St. Louis. Two years later, the American Civil War began. Many steamboat owners had to stop their businesses. But the Memphis and St. Louis Packet Line kept going. They operated on parts of the Mississippi River controlled by Union forces.

By 1862, the Union controlled the river as far south as Memphis. A year later, most river ports were under Union control. Only Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Port Hudson, Louisiana, were still held by the Confederates. On July 4, 1863, Union forces took Vicksburg. The next day, Port Hudson surrendered. This opened the entire river for steamboat traffic again.

In 1874, the company started using a giant anchor as its symbol. This is likely when they changed their name to the "Anchor Line." The anchor symbol was placed between the two tall smokestacks on each boat. It was also on the furniture inside the boats.

The Golden Era: 1880-1894

Postcard view of (former) Anchor Line steamboat City of Providence, postmarked 1909.

By the early 1880s, the company had enough money. They decided to build many new steamboats. Most of these boats were built by the Howard Shipbuilding Company. The Anchor Line spent a lot of money on these boats. They became like floating palaces of the late Victorian era.

Between 1880 and 1887, the Anchor Line built ten of these fancy steamboats. They were about 275 feet (83.33 m) long. They were also about 45 feet (13.64 m) wide. Most steamboats were named after people or nice ideas. But the Anchor Line named their boats after cities along their route. The first of these was the Belle Memphis. When it arrived in Memphis in 1881, the city gave it a gift of flags.

Most of these boats avoided common river disasters. These included fires, snags (underwater logs), ice, and getting stuck on sandbars. They stayed in service until the company closed in 1898. One boat, the City of Providence, was built in 1880. It was sold when the Anchor Line closed. It was used by other companies until ice destroyed it in 1910. That was 29 years after it first started running!

Decline and Collapse: 1894-1898

Postcard, ca. 1900, of the Hill City, built for the Anchor Line originally as the City of Monroe in 1887 and enlarged and renamed in 1897. This boat worked for the Anchor Line for only about a year before the company went out of business, but under a new name, the Corwin H. Spencer, worked as an excursion steamboat during the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

River Challenges

The Mississippi River was often difficult for boats. High water could cover landings. This made it hard for steamboats to stop at smaller towns. Low water could leave towns far from the river. It also increased the risk of snags damaging boats. Floods, like the big one in 1892, could destroy crops. This meant less cargo for the steamboats to carry. The early 1890s, especially 1892 and 1894, were tough years for the Anchor Line because of river conditions.

Railroad Competition

Another big problem was the growing railroad network. Trains started competing directly with steamboats. They carried both passengers and cargo. Train tracks could be built almost anywhere. This meant trains could reach more towns than any steamboat. Trains were also generally safer. They were not affected by snags, sandbars, or ice. Plus, trains were faster. They traveled much quicker than the 15 mph (24.3 km/h) of Anchor Line boats.

The 1896 Tornado

The Anchor Line wharf on the levee at St. Louis, Missouri, ca. 1895. Postcard view published sometime after 1907. The City of New Orleans can be seen docked at right.

Historians believe a terrible tornado in 1896 sealed the Anchor Line's fate. On May 27, the tornado hit St. Louis. It swept across the river into East St. Louis, Illinois. About 255 people died. The Anchor Line's fancy steamboats were docked in St. Louis. They were right in the tornado's path. The Arkansas City and the City of Cairo were completely destroyed. The City of Monroe was badly damaged.

Later that year, the company launched another boat, the Bluff City. In 1897, the Anchor Line fixed the City of Monroe. They made it longer and added electric lights. They renamed it the Hill City. The company even printed a brochure to attract passengers. But that same year, the Bluff City was destroyed by fire. The Belle Memphis was badly damaged by a snag. And the City of Hickman sank.

These disasters were too expensive for the Anchor Line. In 1898, they sold their remaining boats and stopped operating.

Anchor Line Routes

Postcard of the Anchor Line's City of St. Louis, before 1903.

The Anchor Line served most major cities between St. Louis and New Orleans. They also stopped at many smaller landings if needed. Not all boats traveled the entire route regularly. For example, the Arkansas City mostly worked between St. Louis and Natchez from 1888 to 1896.

Main stops included:

• Cairo, Illinois
• New Madrid, Missouri
• Hickman, Kentucky
• Memphis
• Helena, Arkansas
• Greenville, Mississippi
• Vicksburg
• Natchez, Mississippi (and Vidalia, Louisiana, across the river)
• Bayou Sara, Louisiana
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Donaldsonville, Louisiana
• New Orleans

Anchor Line Boats

Starting in 1880, most new Anchor Line boats were side-wheelers. This means they had two large paddlewheels. These wheels were on the sides of the boat, about two-thirds of the way back. The only exception was the Bluff City, which had a wheel at the back.