Alice C. Price Steamboat account book, 1856-1857 (majority within 1856)

Summary

Creator:

Anonymous

Abstract:

This volume contains accounts for the steamer Alice C. Price from March 1856 to January 1857, documenting expenses for ship upkeep, labor and wages, food, marketing, cartage, wharfage, freight, among others. The account book also includes documentation of passengers and various bills, with some summaries of costs for passage and meals "down" and "up" for unspecified trips. While very few places were named, "Pope's Creek," "Bluff's Point," and "Cone" [e.g. Coan] appear, situating the steamer in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. The volume has a "Robert Bell Bookseller and Stationer, Alexandria, Va." label on the inside front cover.

Extent:

1 volume

Language:

English

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Jayne Ptolemy, July 2022

Background

Scope and Content:

This volume contains accounts for the steamer Alice C. Price from March 1856 to January 1857, documenting expenses for ship upkeep, labor and wages, food, marketing, cartage, wharfage, freight, among others. The account book also includes documentation of passengers and various bills, with some summaries of costs for passage and meals "down" and "up" for unspecified trips. While very few places were named, "Pope's Creek," "Bluff's Point," and "Cone" [e.g. Coan] appear, situating the steamer in the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. The volume has a "Robert Bell Bookseller and Stationer, Alexandria, Va." label on the inside front cover.

Biographical / Historical:

In 1855, the side-wheel steamboat Alice C. Price was sold to the Potomac River Steam Boat Company and captained by Samuel Baker. It travelled between Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Virginia, as well as along the Potomac River. It was advertised as accepting heavy goods, freights down the river, and pleasure excursions.

Acquisition Information:

2022. M-7261.1 .

Arrangement:

The collection is a single bound volume.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Related Materials

The Mariners' Museum and Park has two pencil illustrations of the Alice C. Price made by artist James Bard, ca. 1850-1880.

Bibliography

Morrison, John H. History of American Steam Navigation. New York: W. F. Sametz & Co., 1908.

"Potomac River Steam Boat Co's New and Comfortable Steamer Alice C. Price," Alexandria Gazette, 28 June 1855.

Subjects

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Subjects:

Steamboats--Chesapeake Bay (Md. and Va.)--History.
Steamboats--Potomac River--History.

Formats:

Account books.

Names:

Alice C. Price (Side-Wheel Steamboat: 1853-1864)

Places:

Potomac River.