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Steamboats

When we think of steamboats we don’t always think of the Jersey Shore, but Monmouth County has a very interesting steamboat history. Steamboats came into being in the 19th century and showed up on the Jersey coast in the 1830’s. More than 125 steamboats served the Monmouth County Bayshore area until the late 1960’s when the last operating steamboat company, the Keansburg Steamboat Company, ceased New Jersey operation with the destructive fire of the Atlantic Highlands “Racetrack Pier”.

The most popular Bayshore runs were from New York to Matawan, Keyport, Union, Keansburg, Port Monmouth, Atlantic Highlands, Sandy Hook, Red Bank and Long Branch. Long Branch was considered the outside run because the landing pier was in the
Atlantic Ocean. Only 6 steamboats were in service to make that run during almost 25 years of service in the late 1800’s. The Bayshore runs were served by 64 vessels from 1818 to 1966.

Such majestic steamboats as the Smithfield, Jesse Hoyt, D.R. Martin, General Sedgwick, Golden Gate, Keyport, Matteanan, Wilson Small and approximately 8 others were built in New Jersey in the towns of Keyport, Hoboken, Jersey City and Elizabeth. So New Jersey played its part in the construction of many of the steamboats that contributed to this rich history.

The New Jersey Bayshore steamboat era lasted longer than in many other parts of the country because certain lines and particular vessels were able to develop important individual markets, particularly the commuter and recreation passengers to the Jersey Shore. Today high-speed ferries replace the steamboats, although the biggest fall to the steamboat service was the railroad and modern automobiles.