Steam and Speed: The Development of the First Self-Unloading Schooner-Barge, Adriatic

Summary

Throughout the nineteenth century, steam propulsion in ships grew from an idea to a widely used method of modern transportation. While the use of steam in propulsion has been given credit with advancing shipping into the modern age, the advancements in steam powered unloading systems on the Great Lakes helped propel shipping into the twentieth century. One ship that fully demonstrates this advancement in maritime technology is Adriatic of Sturgeon Bay. Credited as the first self-unloading schooner-barge on the Great Lakes, Adriatic’s development into a self-unloader cut her unloading times by nearly a fourth. The innovative technological design of Adriatic adapted the vessel to the diverse demands of Great Lakes commerce. With its steam powered self-unloading equipment, Adriatic played a vital role in the expansion of trade in the Great Lakes, and served as a model for future designs in self-unloading technology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Steamboat Archaeology in North America   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-44,13