An earlier version of this article originally appeared in Follow South Jersey, which provides local journalism for South Jersey and is a content partner with South Jersey Climate News.
Steamboats have a long history on the Delaware River, going all the way back to the time of the Civil War. These boats carried passengers and cargo to ports along the coasts between Philadelphia and Trenton and between Philadelphia and Cape May. But they weren’t just for commerce.
The first steamboat line established was the Reybold Line and was operated by the Delaware City, Salem and Philadelphia Steam Navigation Company. Of their fleet was the Thomas Clyde. She weighed 625 tons with a 1000 horsepower engine that kept the two paddle wheels running. This steamboat had three decks making simple excursions for families more popular. These excursions included moonlight cruises in the summer all while stopping at ports along the tri-state area. The South Jersey stops included Silver Grove in Pennsville, Parks in Billingsport in Paulsboro, as well as beautiful Bay Area towns such as Fortesque and Sea Breeze.
The Thomas Clyde, among other steamboats, transported passengers charging 40 cents for a round trip and, if the excursion took them to the bay towns or Cape May, the cost was a whopping 50 cents. It would also be quite a long day, with excursions setting out at 8:15 a.m. and returning to Philadelphia by 7:30 p.m.
While steamboats were a fun form of travel, they had competition among themselves and the new railroads that were beginning to crisscross America. Eventually the Thomas Clyde was taken over by the federal government and was used as a commuter steamboat transporting employees from Gloucester City to the shipyard in Philadelphia. There is a very interesting story behind that federal takeover that you will find at The Salem County Historical Society in a report called SteamBoat References by Lawrence B. Owen.
For more fascinating information on the Thomas Clyde steamboat as well as others, visit the Salem County Historical Society at 83 Market Street in Salem or read all about steamboats as they are featured in their latest quarterly newsletter. The hours of operation for the public are Tuesday-Friday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. To receive the quarterly newsletter, become an annual member for the small fee of $35 dollars for individuals. That fee will give access to the museum, reference library, and a quarterly newsletter.
