Steamboat Photos, Page 13 From the Library o' Congress a photo of the BISCAYNE on the Miami River in Florida in 1901. Named for an Island called Key Biscayne just off the Florida coast. I was given this snapshot along with a bunch of others years ago. The dramatic three quarters stern view of a speedy steamboat about to pass under the Eads Bridge at St. Louis was taken from the hurricane roof of another sidewheeler whose paddle box is prominent in the lower left quadrant. Had assumed for a long time that this was one of a number of boats that had "EAGLE" as their last name. The boat that most closely resembles this boat in the Murphy Library site is the second steamer called SPREAD EAGLE (1897-1910). The Murphy photo Number 35415 of that SPREAD EAGLE was taken from a similar angle but a lower vantage point. While there are many similarities between the two boats there are also significant differences which suggests they are not one and the same. Some of the bulkhead may have been missing just aft of the paddlebox which could explain why the horizontal portion of the "L" in EAGLE is missing and the last "E" is gone. However if the boat's last name ended with the letter "I", making the last portion of the word "EAGLI" then it suggests it had another name entirely, a mystery yet to be resolved. LAFAYETTE LAMB at Winona, Minnesota in 1898 Detail from a Detroit Publishing photograph Pretty picture taken from a high angle with riverfront park in the foreground LAFAYETTE LAMB Sternwheel Rafter Built 1874 at Clinton, Iowa Way's Steam Towboat Directory Number T1541 Owners: C. Lamb and Sons; Valley Navigation Company (1893) Bronson and Folsom Towing and Transportation Company (1899) Officers: Lafayette Lamb (master, 1874); Captain Cyrus King (master, 1883); Captain John Monroe (master, 1890); Captain J.E. Kaiser (master, 1893) Captain Stephan B. Hanks (pilot/master, 1878); Chris C. Carpenter (pilot, 1899) Was the first boat of the season to arrive at St. Louis from the south on April 2, 1892. Was sold to the Bronson and Folsom Towing and Transportation Company in 1899 for $2500. She then carried a passenger permit as well as towing. Her machinery, etc. went into the building of the packet FOUNTAIN CITY At one time she had served as the bowboat for the ISAAC STAPLES Dismantled at Stillwater, Minnesota in the winter of 1904-05 With the exception of images credited to public institutions, everything on this page is from a private collection. Please contact Steamboats.com for permission for commercial use.* All captions provided by Dave Thomson, Steamboats.com primary contributor and historian.