Small Manuscript Collections, Irons Family Papers, Steamboat Frederica

Charles Irons is a volunteer at the Bowers Beach Maritime Museum. His father was one of the watermen of Bowers Beach. Irons grew up in the prime of maritime fishing at Bowers Beach.

This is a collection of manifests and receipts for the Steamboat (Steamer) Frederica. The Frederica and Philadelphia Navigation Company owned and managed the steamship service. The company offered a price and travel speed that rivaled the railroad. It wasn’t until the 1920s that U.S. Route 113 would see improvements significant enough to impact the steamship service forcing the business to focus on maritime fishing.