Show First Steamboat Down Mississippi Nicholas J. J Roosevelt was the first to take a steamboat down the Mississippi river according to a writer in the Cleveland Plain Deal Deal- er His boat was built at Pittsburgh in the year 1811 under an arrangement arrangement arrange arrange- ment with Fulton and Livingston from Fulton's plans It was called the New Orleans and was about tons burden propelled by a wheel stern-wheel assisted when the wind was favorable by sails carried on two masts The hull was feet long 30 feet beam and the cost including engines was about 40 The builder with his family an engineer a pilot and six deck hands left Pittsburgh in October 1811 reaching Louisville in about 70 10 hours and New Orleans in fourteen fourteen four four- teen days steaming from Natchez |