Inside the J.M. White

J.M. White III Interior

One of the most glamorous steamboats on the Mississippi during the later part of the nineteenth century was the J.M. White.  Few boats could match the technological innovations on board and none could match her speed.  The J.M. White had chimneys eighty-one feet tall, she had a five tone whistle, and much of the loading machinery she used was steam powered, a significant innovation at the time.

Inside the boat was the height of luxury.  The main cabin had cherry filigree woodwork and could seat 250 passengers for meals.  On the texas, or top deck, there were fifty staterooms and two bridal suites.  Each stateroom was ten by fourteen feet, exceptionally large for a steamboat.  The furniture was specially made for the boat as were the linens and china.  400 people could be accommodated on the promenade decks and galleries.  The J.M. White was a fabulous showcase of wealth.

Dining room of the J.M. White.

J.M. White III gangway.