Jeffboat

Jeffboat

Industry	Shipbuilding
Predecessor	Howard Shipyard, Jeffersonville Boat Company
Founded	1834 as Howard Shipyard in Jeffersonville, Indiana, US
Founder	James Howard
Defunct	April 23, 2018 (2018-04-23)
Fate	Ceased operations in 2018
Headquarters	Jeffersonville, Indiana

Jeffboat was a shipbuilding facility located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, established in 1834 by entrepreneur James Howard. Initially operating under the name Howard Shipyards, it remained under family control for more than a century before ownership changed hands prior to World War II. Following the war, the company was renamed Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Company, later abbreviated to Jeffboat. It grew to become the largest inland shipbuilder in the United States and ranked second in barge manufacturing nationwide until its closure in 2018.

Origins

The enterprise began as Howard Shipyards in 1834, founded by James Howard. Over a span of 107 years under the Howard family's management, the yard constructed more than 3,000 vessels.

Steamboats of the 19th century

One significant vessel, the Joe Fowler, launched in 1888 at Howard Shipyard, served as a United States Mail carrier navigating the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. It logged over 327,000 miles and transported approximately 152,000 passengers without any fatal incidents. After undergoing modifications in 1914 to suit western river routes, it operated excursion cruises until being sold and renamed Crescent sometime after 1917.

Another notable craft, the Emily, built in 1891, initially functioned as a ferry in West Virginia. Over time, it changed hands multiple times and was known by various names including Dixie Bee Line and Joe Curtis. The vessel served on ferry and packet routes within the region until it sank after colliding with ice in 1940.

20th century

Beyond its primary location in Jeffersonville, Indiana, the company expanded with shipyards at Paducah, Kentucky; Madison, Indiana; Cincinnati; and other locations. Most of these additional yards were divested by 1917.

The Great Depression posed significant challenges for the company. In 1942, the U.S. Navy purchased the shipyards and reorganized them under the name Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company. During World War II, production included 123 Landing Ship, Tank (LST) vessels, 23 submarine chasers, along with various other craft. Post-war efforts focused on building custom vessels such as barges and towboats. The firm adopted the name Jeffboat in 1957.

Jeffboat is credited with constructing two prominent paddlewheelers: the Mississippi Queen steamboat launched in 1973 and the General Jackson showboat introduced in 1985. Production activities were suspended between 1986 and 1989.

21st century

Operations faced disruption due to a wildcat strike in 2001. Subsequently, the yard produced a third paddlewheeler named City of Evansville, which later operated as the Casino Aztar riverboat casino.

In a union vote held in 2016, workers chose by a margin of 649 to 190 to maintain representation by Teamsters Local 89 amid an attempt to decertify the union.

By June 2015, Jeffboat's shipyard spanned 68 acres and was owned by American Commercial Lines Inc. (ACL), headquartered in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Mark Knoy serves as CEO. ACL is under Platinum Equity ownership and holds the distinction as the largest inland shipbuilder across the United States, specializing primarily in river and ocean barges.

Facing reduced demand for its products, Jeffboat laid off 278 employees in November 2017 and ultimately ceased operations permanently on April 23, 2018.

Ships constructed

The following steamships were manufactured at the shipyard, listed alphabetically:

Name !Origin !Year !Power !Propulsion !Tonnage !Length !Beam !Draft !Decommissioned !Remarks
A.D. Allen	Built	1901	Single steam boiler	Sternwheeler		125	23	2.5	1929 or later	Operated on Arkansas River
A.M. Halliday	Built	1903	Single boiler steam	Centerwheel		121	59	7.7	1954	Steel double-hulled ferry, later dismantled
A. Baldwin	Built	1905	Dual boiler steam	Centerwheel		127	58.9	7.5	1971	Steel-hulled catamaran ferry
Acadia	Built	1860	Steam-powered	Sternwheeler		188	35	7	1863	Destroyed by fire during Civil War
Alberta	Built	1876	Steam-driven	Sternwheeler	107	116	25	3.5	Served White River
Alberta	Built	1880	Steam-powered	Sternwheeler		150	18.5	3.5	Operated on Arkansas and White rivers
Alberta No. 3	Built	1884	Steam propulsion	Sternwheeler		145	28	3.6	White River service
Alex Perry	Built	1891	Dual boiler steam system	Sternwheeler		149.9	18.5	3.5	1896	Lost due to fire
Alex. Scott	Built	1842	(Six boilers) steam power	Sidewheeler		266	34	8		Route: St. Louis to New Orleans
Algiers	Built	1925	Steam, dual boilers	Sternwheeler		144	55	7.7	After 1958	Steel double-hull catamaran ferry operating in New Orleans
Aline	Built	1858	Steam-powered	Sternwheeler		125	30	6		Operated New Orleans–Opelousas (1859); served Confederacy (1861)
Alma	Built	1900	(Triple-boiler) steam propulsion	Sternwheeler	311	220	36	5	1861	Navigated Missouri River
Alonzo C. Church	Built	1893	Triple-boiler steam system	Recess wheel propulsion			59	7.7	1954	Steel double-hulled ferry later dismantled
Built |1905 |Dual boiler steam |Centerwheel | |172.3 |43.3 |6.5 |1914 |Converted to wharf boat after dismantling
Built |1857 |Six-boiler steam power |Sidewheeler |236 |38 |7 |After 1863 |Operated St. Louis–Omaha and St. Louis–New Orleans routes
Built |1906 |Steam propulsion |Sidewheeler |241.1 |38 |7.3 |1918 |Used for St. Louis–Alton excursions; lost due to ice damage
Built (1898) |Triple-boiler steam power |Sternwheeler |200 |38 |6.5 |1926 |Served Ouachita and Mississippi Rivers
Built (1917) |Five-boiler steam power |Sidewheeler |285 |45 |6 |1930 |Wooden hull converted from Indiana, destroyed by fire
Built |1897 |Triple-boiler steam system |Sidewheeler |170 |48 |7.4 | |Later renamed Henry Watterson
Built |1873 |Steam-powered vessel |Sternwheeler |110 |22 |3 |1880 |Operated on White River; sank near Batesville, Arkansas
Built |1882 |Steam propulsion system |Sidewheeler |1,236 |273 |44 |7 |1896 |Destroyed by tornado
Built (1892) |Steam-powered sternwheeler |120 (tons) | 20 (length) 3.9 (draft) After 1900 (out of service) Routes: Nashville–Clarksville and Paducah–Danville
Steam sternwheeler | 151 tons | 35.8 length | 6.5 draft | Out of service in 1895 | Operated New Orleans–Thibodeaux and Bayou Lafourche routes |

See also

• Howard Steamboat Museum

External links

• (No longer active)
• Official website of IBT Local 89