Okeehumkee
The Okeehumkee, also known as "Queen of the Ocklawaha River," was a river steamboat that provided transportation along Florida rivers in the late 19th century. The "Okeehumkee" was equipped with a paddle wheel positioned in the lower stern part of the boat which allowed it to traverse narrow and shallow rivers. The steamboat was the longest-serving craft of its type on the Ocklawaha River route, remaining in service for 43 years. Description. The "Okeehumkee" measured long by wide, and consisted of a flat-bottom hull, a lower cargo deck and two upper passenger decks. A recessed stern paddle  wheel provided propulsion, powered by a wood-burning steam boiler engine. The boat was outfitted with shutters on the windows to keep tree branches out and a livestock pen at the rear of the boat, on the upper deck. The "Okeehumkee" was alternately called "Okeehumkee II", "Okahumka", "Okahumpka", and "Okeehumpkee". History. The "Okeehumkee" was built in 1873 by Hubbard Hart, founder of the Ocklawaha Navigation Company's Hart's Line, at his East Palatka Hart's Point shipyard. It was named after a Native American chief from the area of the Ocklawaha lakes. The boat was outfitted with shutters on  the windows to keep tree branches out and a livestock pen at the rear of the boat, on the upper deck. The boat was altered several times throughout its service lifetime, including moving the pilot house to the top deck. In 1893, a second deck of cabins was added. The "Okeehumkee" was alternately called "Okeehumkee II", "Okahumka", "Okahumpka", and "Okeehumkee". In 1886, the boat was altered to expand the upper cabin deck in both length and width. Over the next several years, other minor alterations were made. In 1893, another cabin deck was added. The "Okeehumkee" was still in service  as of 1910. The steamboat era declined in the early 20th century, replaced by railroad travel. In 1919, Hart's Line ceased operation and the "Okeehumkee" was moored at Hart's Point shipyard in East Palatka along with another steamboat, the "Hiawatha". By the late 1930s, the "Okeehumkee" had been dismantled.