Excursion Boat City Of Cincinnati

By James Donahue

When launched at Jamestown, New York in 1882, this 132-foot vessel began operating as an excursion ship on the Great Lakes under the name Cincinnati. In its day the steamer offered fine furnished cabins, fancy deck railings and colored sky-lights in the upper cabins.

The competition on the lakes was fierce and by 1891 the Cincinnati was sold to the Chautauqua Steamboat Company for operations on Chautauqua Lake in the State of New York. For the next 35 years the vessel, renamed the City of Cincinnati, made three trips a day on the 17-mile-long trip between Jamestown at the southern end of the lake, and Mayville at the northern end. Stops were made at various communities along the way.

There was only one notable accident during all those years. On August 8, 1908, the steamer struck a submerged pile while landing at the dock at Chautauqua. A large hole was torn in the wooden hull and the steamer sank at the dock. It was close enough that passengers were able to get off safely. The old steamer was patched, pumped out and towed back to Jamestown for repairs.

In the fall of 1913 the Chautauqua Steamboat Company sold the City of Cincinnati and the other boats in its fleet to A. N. Broadhead and S. B. Broadhead. The Broadheads continued regular service on the lake until 1925.

The old City of Cincinnati was purchased by Fred Rowland in 1927, who moored it in a private channel and lived in the vessel along with other people. Then on February 13, 1939, the old boat was destroyed by a fire of unknown origin.