An introduction

Since 2021 I have been visiting and researching the history of the former steamboat wharves on the Lower Wolastoq and its tributaries, a section of the St. John river valley stretching from Fredericton to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Although the history of the steamboats was fairly well documented in the 1980s — at least as far as niche local history subjects go — the wharves have not received the same level of attention. New Brunswickers love to boast about their covered bridges and lighthouses, but for some reason the wharves haven’t garnered the same whimsy. As it turns out, beyond the brief history provided by the St. John River Society, there isn’t much information out there for the curious visitor to find out more about these once-integral pieces of river infrastructure.

I have previously shared tidbits of my research through the Digital Fieldguide to the Lower Wolastoq Steamboat Wharves, Twitter, and Instagram, but the bulk of the history I’ve managed to piece together about the wharves has been sitting on my hard drive in draft form. As fun as it is to share local history on social media, the platforms I use don’t really lend themselves to longer form content (and I certainly will not be paying any money to Elon to change that constraint). To be frank, I also need an outlet that will provide me with a sense of accountability to actually consolidate this research into something readable. When I started this project I was fresh out of university, eager to continue researching and writing as a hobbyist with the same zeal I had for my studies. Now many years into my (non-academic) career, I must admit that maintaining my pace has proven far more challenging than anticipated. This site is intended to help keep my honest and get back to working on this project with greater regularity.

With my intentions clear, I hope that this can serve as a helpful and entertaining resource for those who want to know more about the wharves and about the Lower Wolastoq’s steamboat era in general.