Library of Congress Public Domain Photo by Arthur Siegel
When I first leafed through a book about steamboats and excursion boats looking for an idea for a new story, I didn’t know much about showboats. But as soon as I started reading about them I knew I wanted a showboat on the river to be my next historical novel setting. Now the release of In the Shadow of the River is a little over a month away and I’m excited about readers coming aboard my fictional showboat to ride downriver with my cast of characters.
But before I could write the story, I needed to know more about showboats and the people who lived and acted on them. So here’s a little of the basic history of showboats that helped me write my story.
The first showboats were merely large rafts that used river current to float down the rivers to their stops to present their shows. Perhaps the very first showboat was a keelboat bought by Noah Ludlow in 1816. He dubbed his boat Noah’s Ark and headed downriver with eleven other actors. They stopped wherever they hoped to gather a crowd for their shows. It’s unknown whether the actors performed on the keelboat or on the river bank, but if they did put on their shows onboard Noah’s Ark, then that would have been the beginning of showboats.
In 1831, British-born actor William Chapman, Sr. built or had built the first actual showboat, named the Floating Theater. He, along with his family of nine and a couple of added showmen, launched their showboat in the east and floated south down the rivers stopping along the way to present their brand of entertainment of dramatic plays and songs and dance. The price of admission could be anything from a bushel of garden produce to 50 cents.
When the Civil War broke out, showboats along the rivers disappeared entirely and weren’t reborn until 1878. The showboats in the later part of the 1800’s presented melodramatic plays along with vaudeville type acts. At first these showboats also were dependent on the river current to get from place to place which made it hard to schedule stops. Some showboats of that era were the New Sensation, New Era, Water Queen, and the Princess. I named my fictional showboat the Kingston Floating Palace.
When one of the showboat owners found a way to use a steamboat to tow the showboat or more accurately push the showboat, a whole new era in showboats was born. The showboats became larger and more ornate. They were able to put on a show every night since they had more control over their journey along the river. Then the steam calliope became a popular addition to the showboats. The music from these steam pianos floated across country for miles to let the locals know a steamboat was coming to their landing. The showboats became so popular in entertainment starved rural areas, that the sound of the calliope would have farmers and their families stopping work to hunt up their nickels and dimes and head for the river.
Most of the showboats were owned by families of actors and actresses. They started out on their showboats in the east in the early spring and ended up in Louisiana in October or November after putting on the same show every night except on Sundays. Some of the showboat owners became very wealthy and as they gained in resources, they tried to outdo one another with the size of the showboats and the fancy trappings of the onboard theatres.
The Kingston family on my showboat story, In the Shadow of the River, didn’t get caught up in that, but they did build a bigger showboat every few years so they could entertain more patrons. Of course, as the Publishers Weekly Review says all the drama doesn’t happen on stage. There’s plenty going on between shows on my showboat.
While there aren’t showboats floating from landing to landing to put on shows the way they were in the later part of the 1800’s and the early 1900’s, there are still showboats tied up at docks that put on shows.
Do you think it would have been fun to hear the calliope and head for a show on the river showboats back in the day?
Comments 23
We took a cruise on a very large sternwheeler riverboat that I guess could be called a showboat. There was a variety of musical entertainment as well as dancing. The name of the boat was the American Queen, out of New Orleans. We took a cruise out of Minneapolis (or maybe it was St. Paul). There was a stop in Red Wing and one other place that I don’t remember. It was in August, 2001, just before 9/11. The boat did have a steam calliope. According to one source, it is currently on it’s way to Red Wing at the moment.
At one time there was a sort of showboat tied up on the Potomac River at the Lincoln Memorial at the Watergate. I saw a concert there on my first trip to Washington, D.C., in 1958 or 1959. I do not know when it was moved away. It was really a band shell on a barge.
Being an imaginative child, with a flare for the dramatic, once the calliope music wafted my way, I would have began begging to go! I think my grandparents, who raised me strictly, but with love, would have considered it risque with vices such as gambling, the baring of skin and bawdy jokes! And I have a feeling there just might have been some of that, The same was said of the traveling circus that came to town in the late sixties. Adult entertainment for a price and not available to the general public could be found. I did get to go once as I child and was supervised very closely and took my little boy to one after I became a mother. I don’t think either of us were tainted by the sights we saw, but the stinky mess of over excited animals wasn’t too pleasant for the nose!! Kentucky experienced travel on rafts and flat boats by regular folks too. I lived too far from any major waterway (except what was Cumberland River at that time) and was born after that kind of traffic anyway. I am excited to board the Palace with you and your characters.
Author
Early on, many of the stricter church people did have a problem with the showboats. But the ones I researched that were floating down the rivers in the late 1800’s advertised their shows as family affairs. They wouldn’t allow any kind of liquor onboard although some did get smuggled on, I’m sure. Some of them put on Shakespearian type shows. Their comedy was mostly silly jokes. One of the boats I read about wouldn’t let women smoke. They were fairly strict about their casts behavior. However, there was plenty of gambling on the riverboats in the 1800s and they had shows too that might not have been as family friendly. But the showboat owners I read about kept their shows clean. The owners usually had kids who were part of the cast too. That’s not to say that sometimes the crowds did take exception to the shows and cause some disturbances.
I would have loved it. Thank you for sharing. Blessings
Author
Always good to see your comments here, Lucy, and I love how you support Christian writers by reposting things about their books. Such a help in these internet and social media days. So thank you for sharing too.
I hope you’ll enjoy floating down the river with my characters.
I think that would have been so much fun, especially for the people that very rarely could see any kind of entertainment.
That kind of reminds me of being in elementary school and once per year we were professionally entertained by a group called the Saline Players. They would put on plays like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fin. I loved to see them. The shows cost 25 cents to see.
Author
That sounds fun, Connie. That might have awakened a love of story in many of the children in your school. I love going to plays and being entertained and went to a play just a week or so ago. We didn’t have any outside entertainment like that when I was in school, but 25 cents sounds like a perfect price for kids to enjoy a show.
Yes, I think it would have been an amazing sight to see. Can’t wait for the new book and to immerse myself in your latest story and characters. Happy Easter and enjoy your family!
Author
I hope you’ll enjoy jumping aboard my showboat, Pamela. I didn’t have any trouble imagining the excitement the arrival of a showboat made in the little towns along the rivers. And the showmen onboard made it even more exciting with bands playing and parades into the towns.
I hope you had a beautiful Easter weekend. It was a busy day here with my sons and their families here.
Oh yes, and to be able to see the houses along the river and the twist and turns of the river. I live near the mighty Mississppi River.
Author
The Mississippi is a mighty river, Terri. The few times I’ve gone across it going west it has amazed me. I’m sure I’d feel the same on a showboat going down the Mississippi the way those old time showboats did. Floating down on a raft they way many did in the old days had to be an adventure and one where you hoped for no storms.
I have always wanted to go down the Mississippi River on a riverboat. But just to let you know I am petrified of water. So seeing showboat coming up wouldn’t that just be absolutely wonderful. I’m so looking forward to this new book, but I say that about everyone. Well I just happened to think this author is one of the best and I can’t wait for the adventure. Have a blessed Easter with your family and waiting for the book.
Author
What kind words you have for this author, Dusti. Thank you. I do hope you will enjoy going on an adventure down the Ohio River with my showboat crew and cast. And while plenty of water will be around, you will be very safe with solid ground under you while reading. 🙂 That is, unless you’re reading it on a riverboat on the Mississippi.
Hope you had a beautiful Easter weekend.
Yes, I do. I would love to see a showboat, and even go for a ride on one.
Author
That would be fun, Birdie. Riding down the river on a beautiful spring day would be the best.
Definitely think I would have liked to hear and would have listened for the sound of the calliope. Thank you for the back story on the show boats.
Author
Most people at that time were excited to hear that calliope music, Ann. I did wonder as I was researching about how often they were able to go to the shows when more showboats were on the river competing for their admission prices.
I think seeing a show on a showboat sounds like it would be a lot of fun! I can’t wait to read your book!
Author
I hope you will enjoy getting to know my people and enjoy the acts they put on, both the ones they do on stage and those they do off stage too. It will be fun to hear what you thiung about the story, Hope. At leasr, I hope it will be fun. 🙂
I imagine that the showboats provided some greatly enjoyed entertainment. I’m eager to read your book!
Author
I’m so glad to know you’re looking forward to my new story. I’ll be excitedf to hear what you think about the story.
At first some people didn’t like the showboats. Some of the church people thought they were a little scandalous in those early days, but most people were excited to hear that a showboat was at their landing.
I’ve seen plenty of riverboats but it would have been fun to see one of the showboats back in the day. I’ve enjoyed paddleboat rides for short trips on the Ohio and Kentucky rivers and a couple of dinner boat rides too. Those were sort of like showboats because there was usually a band performing. So it’s easy to image hearing a caliope playing as it approached town.
I’m quite eager to read about the Kingston family on your river showboat. 🙂
Happy Easter weekend Ann!
John 20:1
Author
Hope you had a beautiful Easter, Lavon. Couldn’t ask for nicer weather here in KY today. I haven’t been on boats very much but I didn’t have any problem imagining riding down the river on my fictional showboat.
Can’t wait to hear what you think about the story.