Name/Title
Napa river boat on Napa RiverEntry/Object ID
2011.2.125Description
Black and white photograph of the Zinfandel steamer (earlier catalogued as HJ Corcoran steamer) on the Napa River, with Napa State Hospital in the background. Writing on back of photograph indicates that the donor is unknown, and it was donated prior to 1984.
Next to the date notation reads "(B. M. Rice material from Calistoga Grubbs(?) Hall Museum". A second note on the back of the photograph reads "Napa River boat on Napa River (Zinfandel) Below present day Maxwell bridge at Imola. Note former Napa State Hospital bdlgs in background"
Included with photograph is a typed message from Jess Doud, director of Napa Historical Society, from May 27, 1982, written to Ernest D. Wichel in Vallejo, California. The note reads "Dear Ernest, Will you please take a look see at the enclosed and see if you can identify the steamer's name. All I can make out is H.J. Co...oran. Thought you could help us. Thanks in advance. It was good to see Anne and yourself at our annual meeting." The reply below reads " Dear Jess: Yes, the H.J. Corcoran was a busy craft for several decades on the Bay and Napa River; it had one of the largest stern wheels of any of the early boats.History: In 1890 the Aden Brothers of Vallejo began operating daily ferry service between SF and Vallejo with the SUNOL (whose rotting hull can still be seen on the banks of the Napa River just north of the Sears Pt. Bridge). When Monticello (1895) began operating a rival ferry system (Str Monticello), a faster boat, the Adens countered by purhcasing the stern-wheeler H J Corcoran. But a few years later, when the Monticello (Hatch Bros) added the spedier boars General Fisbie and Arrow, the Adens retired from their business (foot of Sacramento St., Vallejo) and the H.J. Corcoran became the Crockett of the California & Hawaiian Sugar Refinery. I do not know how long (perhaps 20 years) the Crockett (nee Corcoran) was a familiar sight on the Bay, or what happened to it. I do know that the small SUNOL became the Pyramid of the Leslie Salt Company before disintegrating on the Napa River mudflats. Need any more information?"
[Unsure if this is the photograph to which the note is referring as the steamer in photo says Zinfandel and not HJ Corcoran.]
Location: O/S Box 3Collection
PhotographsAcquisition
Accession
2011.2Acquisition Method
GiftLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
Print, PhotographicNomenclature Primary Object Term
PhotographNomenclature Sub-Class
Graphic DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsLOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Steamboats, SteamshipsSearch Terms
Napa River, Steamboats, Steamships, Steamers, Napa AsylumCreate Date
November 30, 2011Update Date
January 25, 2022
