Paddle steamship with American flag flying at left end of ship. Passengers on deck in front and in back.
Paddle ferries were used for transport during the mid-to-late 19th century. The boats were driven by a steam engine that used one or more paddle wheels to move forward or backward. The paddle wheel was the first practical form of motorized propulsion applied to watercraft. The wheels are fitted with numerous paddle blades and the bottom quarter of the wheel is submerged underwater. The rotation of the paddles creates the force needed to drive the boats. This image created by Currier & Ives illustrates a New York ferry boat powered by a paddle wheel, carrying passengers who are shown on the front and rear decks. Side-wheel boats were easily maneuvered and were used for river and coastal transportation. The technology quickly became obsolete with the invention of the screw propeller. Some tourist destinations, such as those along the Mississippi River, still operate river cruises that celebrate paddle wheel boats of days gone by.
