NORTHWESTERN UNION PACKET COMPANY

NORTHWESTERN UNION PACKET COMPANY. In May, 1866, a new company — the Northwestern Union Packet Company —bought all the property of the La Crosse & Minnesota Steam Packet Company and the Northwestern Packet Company. Its officers were William F. Davidson, St. Paul, president; John Lawler,Prairie du Chien, manager; George A. Blanchard, Dubuque, secretary; William Rhodes, St. Paul, treasurer; W. E. Wellington, Dubuque, and P. S. Davidson, La Crosse, superintendents. The headquarters of the company were established in Dubuque.

The new company started with thirty steamboats and seventy-three barges. The invested capital of the company was announced as one million five hundred thousand dollars. The shipping capacity was the moving of one million bushels of grain every five days. The barges alone had a capacity of three hundred and twenty-five thousand bushels. The company's side-wheel boats were Phil. Sheridan, Milwaukee, City of St. Paul, Itasca, Ocean Wave, Northern Belle, Key City, Keokuk, War Eagle and Favorite; and its stern-wheel steamers were Addie Johnston, Damsel, Annie Johnston, Diamond Jo, Jennie Baldwin, Julia, G. H. Wilson, Flora, Clara Hine, Hudson, Mankato, Chippewa Falls, Mollie Mohler, Stella Whipple, Ariel, G. H. Gray, Albany, Cutter, H. S. Allen and St. Cloud.

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Source:

Oldt, Franklin T. History of Dubuque County, Iowa. Online: http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/franklin-t-oldt/history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl/page-26-history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl.shtml