In the mid-1800s, steam-powered boats were
making waves as a new way to travel the nation’s
larger rivers, such as the Mississippi. It did not take
long after the establishment of local communities
for enterprising people to try to operate steamers
up and down the Wisconsin River. In the mid 1850s,
a small steamship began running between Stevens
Point and Mosinee, bringing people and supplies to
the communities up in the great Wisconsin Pinery.
The first such steamer was called “The Northerner,”
and started operations in 1854. After getting a
larger boiler in 1856, the steamship was said to be
capable of carrying 30 passengers and several tons
of freight. After leaving Stevens Point, the nine-hour
trip to Mosinee included stops along the way, at
places such as Charles Maan’s tavern-house, Wylie’s
tavern, DuBay’s trading post, the Whitehouse landing,
Warren’s Mill, Drake’s Landing and Bean’s Eddy.
If not for the dangerous rapids of the Little Bull Falls
at Mosinee, the steamship might have continued
to travel further north to Wausau. For a few months
in 1858, a second steamship route was established
from Mosinee to Wausau. But after the novelty of
riding a steamship wore off, the financial panic of
1858 brought the tri-weekly trips to an abrupt end.
The steamboat from Stevens Point to Mosinee also
proved to be a poor moneymaker. The Wisconsin
River and its seasonal conditions were not great fits
for steam-powered boats after all. Whenever water
levels dipped too low, the steamships struggled to
safely travel the river. On numerous occasions, male
passengers were asked to go overboard into the
shallow water to push the boat back into safe waters.
In 1870 and 1882, other short-lived attempts were
made to establish steamship lines between Stevens
Point and Mosinee. But neither saw commercial
success, especially as the arrival of railroad service
in the 1870s provided more efficient means of
moving passengers and supplies year-round.
