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In the history of the California coast, the use of ships and the Pacific Ocean has historically included water craft (such as dugouts, canoes, sailing ships, and steamships), fisheries, shipbuilding, Gold Rush shipping, ports, shipwrecks, naval ships and installations, and lighthouses.
Pages in category "Maritime history of California" The following 52 pages are in this category, out of 52 total. This list may not reflect recent changes. ...
The first regular steamship service from the west to the east coast of the United States began on February 28, 1849, with the arrival of the SS California in San Francisco Bay. California left New York Harbor on October 6, 1848, rounded Cape Horn at the tip of South America, and arrived at San Francisco, California after a 4-month 21-day journey.
SS California entering Havana Harbor, Cuba in 1934.. California was the first of three sister ships built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia for the Panama Pacific Lines, a subsidiary of American Line Steamship Corporation which was a part of J. P. Morgan's International Mercantile Marine Company.
The increased demand for shipping was the result of several factors. The discovery in 1848 of gold in California was a major cause along with the wars between Great Britain and China in 1840–42 and 1856–60 threw a part of the China trade into American hands.
Steamboats operated in California on San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, and Sacramento River as early as November 1847, when the Sitka built by William A. Leidesdorff briefly ran on San Francisco Bay and up the Sacramento River to New Helvetia. After the first discovery of gold in California the first shipping on ...
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The first three steamships constructed for Pacific Mail were the SS California, of 1050 tons, the SS Oregon, of 1250 tons, and the SS Panama, of 1058 tons. [3] The company initially believed it would be transporting agricultural goods from the West Coast, but just as operations began, gold was found in the Sierra Nevada, and business boomed almost from the start.