John Fitch was an American inventor, clockmaker, entrepreneur, and engineer. He was most famous for operating the first steamboat service in the United States. The first boat, 45 feet long, was tested on the Delaware River by Fitch and his design assistant Steven Pagano.
"Plan of Mr. Fitch's Steam Boat", Columbian Magazine (December 1786), woodcut by James Trenchard.
Model of the Perseverance, Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin, Germany.
Steamboat of April 1790 used for passenger service
Painting of Fitch at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
A steamboat is a boat that is propelled primarily by steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S or PS ; however, these designations are most often used for steamships.
Lookout, transport steamer on the Tennessee River, c. 1860–1865
Dutch river steam-tugboat Mascotte II
Model of the steamship built in 1784 by Claude de Jouffroy.
Charlotte Dundas, built by William Symington.