Robert Fulton portrait   Save
Robert Fulton Collection
Description: Robert Fulton (1765-1815) was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and was an accomplished artist. He moved on to designing ships for navies, including the British, French, and Americans, who found his submarine design very useful. He eventually settled on steamboats and designed the Clermont, the first commercially-viable steamboat (others had dreamed of it before, but his was the only design to be economical enough). He also constructed the first steamboat to travel on the Ohio River, known as the New Orleans. His work revolutionized water traffic, helping to move Ohioans from a subsistence to a commercial economy. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03968
Subjects: Steamboats; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development; Military vehicle industry
Places: Robert Fulton Collection