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Historical Travels: Steamboat/Steamship Timetables

Reconstructing journeys from the past

Steamboat/Steamship Timetables

DINNER MENU [held by] Cie Gle TRANSATLANTIQUE [at] "PAQUEBOT ""LA BRETAGNE""" (SS;) NYPL Digital Collections Image ID 474049Steamboat/steamship timetables are wonderful resources to get a grasp on how these machines were able to move people along large bodies of water. These timetables can give us clues to answer questions like:

  • How long would a journey have taken?
  • What connections could be made, once you were off the boat?
  • What water routes were the most popular? 

Please see below, for examples of steamship/steamboat timetables that can be useful to your research. Make sure to also review newspapers, guidebooks, and city directories to find these timetables.

 

DINNER MENU [held by] Cie Gle TRANSATLANTIQUE [at] "PAQUEBOT ""LA BRETAGNE""" (SS;) NYPL Digital Collections Image ID 474049

Catalog Tips

When searching for bus timetables in our Online Research Catalog, we recommend the following keyword or subject search: 

In addition, since not all materials will be indexed under "steamboat lines," or will be found inside another resource, searching under

can provide additional resources that host this type of information. 

Similar keyword searches can be utilized in other digital repositories, such as Hathi Trust.

As noted above, timetables are also often time found within periodicals. As such, check out our Timetables main tab, to see how you can locate periodicals through New York Public Library's databases.

In addition, make sure to also review the listings under Railroad Timetables, many of which also include steamboat/steamship information.

A Selection of Steamboat/Steamship Timetables