Captain O’Neal Drive at Dryer Avenue
The first vessels for passage across the bay were large Indian cypress dugout canoes, described by Spanish explorers. European immigrants sailed masted schooners, which probably took hours to cross the bay when winds were not favorable. Paddlewheel steamboats sailed the bay from 1807 until 1933, a few years after the causeway opened (1927). Most steamers made the trip in a little more than an hour. The general fare (a quarter) bought seating on the open deck (anywhere it could be found); a bit more fare bought seating inside the cabin with refreshments. Competition among the steamboat companies was fierce. Bay boat captains were held in very high esteem. A galley aboard the steamer kept the crew fed. A purser supervised passengers; his duties included chasing couples out of the lifeboats (perfect for a bit of spooning). Steamers were trimmed with mahogany and teakwood, plush upholstered benches with life preservers carefully stowed beneath, and mirror-lined inner cabin walls. When the bay boats disembarked, residents came to the wharf to greet visitors, admire new purchases, and receive mail. At the wharf, cargo was loaded onto wagons on rails; a mule pulled it up the hill. Kids followed the wagons, hoping something (e.g. bananas or candy) would fall off. Bay boats ran in all kinds of weather (hurricanes, electrical storms, fog, ice, and snow) carrying both passengers and cargo. At times, weather, wind and water conditions forced a bay boat to disembark at an alternate wharf to the bewilderment of the uninitiated passenger and to the inconvenience of the waiting hostess. On rare occasions (ice and snow), passengers had to sleep aboard the boat and await the morning thaw. On off-hours, some steamboats were available for excursions, such as romantic moonlight cruises, complete with dancing under the stars. These beautiful paddlewheel steamers with their large boilers fueled by wood (and later, oil) were very vulnerable to explosions and fire, a fate suffered by many of them. When one was destroyed by fire, a new one was quickly put in its place. Many residents loved the steamboats so much, they could not imagine that a time would come when they would no longer hear the melodious steam whistles echoing across the bay...
