Early Jackson County chronicler W.E. Bevens describes the steamboats this way: “To those early pioneers, so long forced to do without luxuries, they seemed the acme of elegance, with their bands of music, their calliopes, handsome cabins, tables adorned with shining silver, glass and linen, loaded with everything good to eat and drink. The arrival of a big steamboat was always the occasion for much social activity.”
From Watson, Tim, and Elizabeth Jacoway. Newport and Jackson County. Arcadia Publishing, 2016