A complete history of early steamboat navigation on the Upper Mississippi would abound with interesting narratives and incidents; but of these, unfortunately, there is no authentic record, and we can only speak in general terms of the various companies that successively controlled the trade and travel of the river, or were rivals for the patronage of the public. During the decade of the '30s, the Harrises, of Galena, ran several small boats from Galena to St. Louis, occasionally to Fort Snelling, or through the difficult current of the Wisconsin to Fort Winnebago, towing barges laden with supplies for the Wisconsin pineries. Capt. Scribe Harris' favorite boat from 1835 to 1838 was the Smelter. The captain greatly delighted in her speed, decorated her gaily with evergreens, and rounding to at landings, or meeting with other boats, fired a cannon from her prow to announce her imperial presence.
The Smelter and other boats run by the Harris family held the commerce of the river for many years. In 1846 the first daily line of steamers above St. Louis was established. These boats ran independently, but on stated days, from St. Louis to Galena and Dubuque. They were the Tempest, Capt. John J. Smith; War Eagle, Capt. Smith Harris; Prairie Bird, Capt. Niebe Wall; Monona, Capt. —— Bersie; St. Croix, Capt. ——; Fortune, Capt. Mark Atchinson. These boat owners, with others, subsequently formed a consolidated company.
In 1847 a company was formed for the navigation of the Mississippi above Galena. The first boat in the line, the Argo, commanded by Russell Blakeley, was placed upon the river in 1846. The boats in this line were the Argo, Dr. Franklin, Senator, Nominee, Ben Campbell, War Eagle, and the Galena.
In 1854 the Galena & Minnesota Packet Company was formed by a consolidation of various interests. The company consisted of the following stockholders: O. Smith, the Harrises, James Carter, H. Corwith, B. H. Campbell, D. B. Morehouse, H. M. Rice, H. L. Dousman, H. H. Sibley, and Russell Blakeley. The boats of the new company were the War Eagle, Galena, Dr. Franklin, Nominee, and the West Newton. In 1857 a new company was formed, and the Dubuque boats, the Itasca and Key City, were added to the line. This line continued until 1862, and the new boats, Dr. Franklin, No. 2, and the New St. Paul, were added. The Galena had been burned at Red Wing in the fall of 1857.
The following is a list of the earliest arrivals at St. Paul after the opening of navigation between the years 1843 and 1858: April 5, 1843, steamer Otter, Capt. Harris; April 6, 1844, steamer Otter, Capt. Harris; April 6, 1845, steamer Otter, Capt. Harris; March 31, 1846, steamer Lynx, Capt. Atchison; April 7, 1847, steamer Cora, Capt. Throckmorton; April 7, 1848, steamer Senator, Capt. Harris; April 9, 1849, steamer Highland Mary, Capt. Atchison; April 19, 1850, steamer Highland Mary, Capt. Atchison; April 4, 1851, steamer Nominee, Capt. Smith; April 16, 1852, steamer Nominee, Capt. Smith; April 11, 1853, steamer West Newton, Capt. Harris; April 8, 1854, steamer Nominee, Capt. Blakeley; April 17, 1855, steamer War Eagle, Capt. Harris; April 18, 1856, steamer Lady Franklin, Capt. Lucas; May 1, 1857, steamer Galena, Capt. Laughton; March 25, 1858, steamer Gray Eagle, Capt. Harris.
The following list includes boats not named in the packet and company lists with date of first appearance as far as can be ascertained:
| Virginia | May 20, 1823 |
| Rufus Putnam | April 5, 1825 |
| Mandan | 1825 |
| Neville | —— |
| Indiana | 1825 |
| Lawrence | May 18, 1826 |
| Versailles | May 12, 1832 |
| Missouri | May 5, 1836 |
| Frontier | 1836 |
| Palmyra | 1836 |
| Saint Peter's | 1836 |
| Rolla | 1838 |
| Sciota | 183- |
| Eclipse | 183- |
| Josephine | 183- |
| Fulton | 183- |
| Red River | 183- |
| Black Rover | —— |
| Burlington | 1838 |
| Ariel | 1839 |
| Gypsy | 1839 |
| Fayette | 1839 |
| Warrior | 1840 |
| Enterprise | 1840 |
| Volant | 1840 |
| Glancus | 1840 |
| Pennsylvania | 1840 |
| Knickerbocker | 1840 |
| Otter | 1841 |
| Highland Mary | 1849 |
| Gov. Ramsey (above the falls) | 185- |
| Anthony Wayne | 185- |
| Yankee | 185- |
| Black Hawk | 185- |
| Ben Accord | 185- |
| Royal Arch | 185- |
| Uncle Toby | 185- |
| Indian Queen | 185- |
| Di Vernon | 185- |
| Osprey | 185- |
| Lamartine | 185- |
| Fannie Harris | 185- |
| Asia | 185- |
| Equator | 1860 |
The following made their appearance some time in the '40s: Cora, Lynx, Dr. Franklin, No. 2, and St. Anthony.
The Northern Line Company organized in 1857 and placed the following steamers upon the Mississippi, to run between St. Louis and St. Paul: The Canada, Capt. Ward; Pembina, Capt. Griffith; Denmark, Capt. Gray; Metropolitan, Capt. Rhodes; Lucy May, Capt. Jenks; Wm. L. Ewing, Capt. Green; Henry Clay, Capt. Campbell; Fred Lorenz, Capt. Parker; Northerner, Capt. Alvord; Minnesota Belle, Capt. Hill; Northern Light and York State, Capt. ——.