Issue Date: August 22, 1996
City: Orlando, FL
Quantity: 23,025,000
Printed By: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforations: 11 x11.1
Color: Multicolored

 

The deep, slow-moving rivers of the South were well suited for the deep-hulled, northern-made steamboats. As they forged inland, they opened up the wilderness, contributing significantly to the growth and prosperity of the South. One such area developed was the Chattahoochee-Apalachicola river basin which stretches from Apalachicola, Florida on the Gulf of Mexico to Columbus, Georgia, 700 miles upstream. 

 

Besides ending the use of slave labor, the Civil War also wreaked havoc with the South’s transportation system. However, steamboats made a quick comeback because cotton and tobacco remained in high demand. The Rebecca Everingham made its appearance at this time. 

 

Launched in 1880, the Everingham was one of the finest boats floating south of the Mason-Dixon Line. It glided at an average speed of seven miles an hour and regularly carried 900 bales of cotton, 75 cabin passengers, and as many on deck as could be squeezed aboard. The affluent enjoyed Victorian staterooms and dining rooms that rivaled those found in the finest hotels. So modern and up-to-date was the Everingham, she even carried cork life preservers as a precaution. But like so many steamboats fueled by burning wood or coal, the Everingham was short-lived, burning to the waterline in 1884.