Annotations: the Rebecca Everingham and Steamboating on the Chattahoochee June 26, 2009

The Rebecca Everingham was the most luxurious of the steamboats that once plied the waters of the Chattahoochee River. Constructed in Columbus, the massive boat featured over two dozen ornate staterooms and had a capacity of 120 passengers and nearly 1,000 bales of cotton. From 1880 to 1884, it operated between Columbus and Apalachicola as a vital link in the regional transportation network. One of the most famous boats of its time, the Everingham entered into local legend after being destroyed in a tragic fire. The first installment of the Annotations series features a careful examination of a highly detailed, late 1800s lithograph (pictured above) depicting the steamboat Rebecca Everingham. The exhibition explores both the print itself and the larger golden age of steamboating on the Chattahoochee River. Visitors will learn how lithographs such as the one on display were made and used. Through showcasing a number of period images and steamboat-related artifacts such as tableware, engine parts, a pilot wheel and a rare steamboat whistle, the exhibition also highlights interesting details about steamboats and life on them during the era that are revealed in this unique artistic artifact.