What's in a Name?
City of St. Louis at the St. Louis Levee
Boat names chosen in the past and present are varied and interesting. Many men and women have been honored with a vessel named for them. Vessels were also named after cities and the images seen here are from a harbor boat operated by St. Louis called the City of St. Louis. This boat was originally named the Erastus Wells. The Inland River Record, an annual publication, lists over 3,500 towboats, tugs and government boats. These steam and diesel vessels are today on the huge Mississippi River system. A sample of names used for steamboats of the past can be found under these categories:
Descriptive Words
Native American Words
Nature Words
Occupation and Descriptive Words
Patriotic Words
Place and City Words
Western Names and People
City of St. Louis under steam
Moonlight Exursion Ticket, June 1934
"Names of Steam Boats" Compiled by Capt. F.L. (Fielding) Wooldrige