Steamboat Builders

Originally Aired: June 24, 1936 Cavalcade of America #37, "Steamboat Builders," chronicles the pioneering efforts to bring steam-powered navigation to America's waterways. The story begins in 1785 when young Joshua Longstreth discovers his neighbor John Fitch working on a mysterious two-foot model boat powered by steam rather than sails or oars. Despite skepticism from investors like John Morris, Fitch successfully demonstrates his invention, eventually building larger vessels that carry passengers on the Delaware River. His 60-foot steamboat operates regular service between Philadelphia and Burlington, completing the 20-mile journey in just over three hours and earning the admiration of distinguished observers, including members of the Constitutional Convention. However, high operating costs and fierce competition from stagecoaches threaten Fitch's enterprise. The narrative then shifts to Paris in 1802, where American minister Robert Livingston approaches inventor Robert Fulton about applying his mechanical genius to inland navigation. Fulton, who previously built a submarine diving boat for Napoleon, traces his own interest in steamboat development back to his boyhood experiments with paddle wheels on Pennsylvania's Conestoga Creek, setting the stage for the next chapter in America's steamboat revolution.