1825 Codorus was the first iron steamboat

Evidently, Robert Fulton made his steamboat with wood instead of iron.

National Canal Museum posted

America’s first iron steamboat, and the world’s first boat that was powered by a steam engine fueled with anthracite coal, was built in York in 1825.

The “Codorus” was built at the behest of merchants in Baltimore, who believed establishing two-way shipping on the Susquehanna River would give them access to resources and markets deep into central and northern Pennsylvania.

The “Codorus” was made of riveted sheet iron, flat-bottomed with a side paddlewheel so it could navigate the shallow and rocky Susquehanna. Launched on November 22, 1825, the “Codorus” was the first—and only—steamboat to ascend that waterway. Her destination: Binghamton, New York, 300 miles away.

Unfortunately, the trip took three months. The unpredictability of the river, and the many stops needed for refueling, showed that steam navigation of the Susquehanna was completely impractical.

What did prove practical for shipping on the Susquehanna? Canal boats. The various divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal turned out to be faster, cheaper, and reach more of the state than did the Susquehanna.

At least on water, mules beat iron horses.