The current number of steamboats attributed to Georgetown captains and owners is 107. Additionally, the same men have registered 3 tow boats and 34 keelboats in the Custom House at the Port of Pittsburgh. Not all of the boats listed were owned. On some of the early boats especially, Georgetown men served as officers, captains and clerks. To make the list, a Georgetown name had to be associated with the boat either with a Certificate of Enrollment entry or a newspaper report.
The following newspaper clippings identify early references to a Georgetown family name associated with a registered steamer. The first is a river news column from the Pittsburgh Daily Post – dated 17 Dec 1844. It is impossible to say which Poe brother was the captain. A good guess would be either Jacob or Adam.
Belmont 441217 PittDailyPost p31
The str Cashier was registered by Capt Josh Dawson in 1847. AJ McClure of Georgetown was a partner in the purchase of the str Cashier on 26 Dec 1850. The paper trail of Capt McClure is slim.
Cashier 500126 PittDailyPost p2
These bits of information combined paint a detailed picture about each steamboat and their captains.
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