Compiled by John Cloyd Emmerson Jr., this regional history documents the development of steamboat transportation in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between 1826 and 1836. Published around 1949–1950, it continues Emmerson’s earlier account of the first decade of steamboat activity in the region.

The book follows vessels operating throughout the lower Chesapeake Bay, Hampton Roads, the James River, and the Albemarle Sound. It records individual steamboats, their owners and operators, routes, schedules, accidents, mechanical developments, and contributions to regional trade.

During this period, steamboats transformed transportation by moving passengers, mail, agricultural products, and manufactured goods more dependably than vessels relying solely on wind or currents. Coastal communities and inland ports became more closely connected as regular steam service expanded.

At more than 450 pages, Emmerson’s carefully compiled work preserves newspaper accounts, advertisements, vessel records, and other historical details. Its focus on Hampton Roads and the surrounding waterways gives this volume special relevance to the Steam Museum’s Virginia collection.