Howard Steamboat Museum

In 1834, James Howard built his first steamboat in Jeffersonville, Indiana, on the site that is now JeffBoat Shipyard. James tragically drowned in the river in 1876 when his horse and carriage rolled off a ferry boat. In 1890, James’ son, Edmonds, began to build his dream house. Edmonds, his wife, Laura, and their two grown sons, Clyde and James, moved into the 22-room mansion in December, 1894. The last family members to live in the home were Capt. Jim Howard (Edmonds and Laura’s son) and his wife, Loretta. The downstairs is set up as the family home as it would have been when the Howard’s lived there. It has a dining room, library, parlor, kitchen, den, and grand staircase. The grand staircase looks like a staircase you you find in a steamboat. This home was built by men who built steamboats. The second floor used to be the family bedrooms but now the rooms are filled with a vast array of steamboat memorabilia. The second floor also contains the bathroom. It was quite a luxury back then to have indoor plumbing and this bathroom was quite grand for its day. The third floor was used as offices and a lounge for the household maids. It also had Aunt Nannies room where the Howard children were taught by their Aunt Nannie Cochran, a retired school teacher from Louisville. This is a great museum to visit.