Steamboat Washington Landed Here
Cameron, Milam County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In the winter of 1850-1851 with Captain Basil M. Hatfield, commander, the Steamboat Washington landed here with a shipment of merchandise from Washington-on-the-Brazos to J. W. McCown and Co., merchants at Cameron. The first, last and only steamboat to navigate Little River.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the winter of 1850–1851, Captain Basil M. Hatfield guided the Steamboat Washington up the shallow Little River to deliver merchandise from Washington-on-the-Brazos to Cameron's merchants. It was a singular feat: the first, last, and only steamboat ever to navigate that river. The voyage marks a fleeting moment when Texans hoped their inland rivers might become commercial highways.
Why it matters
The lone steamboat that reached Cameron captures the ambition—and the limits—of river commerce on the antebellum Texas frontier before railroads took over.
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Related people
- · Basil M. Hatfield
Themes & tags
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