Question: What Florida river system supported extensive steamboat commerce in the 1800s?
Answer: St. Johns River
The St. Johns River system, including its key tributary the Ocklawaha, was the primary Florida waterway for extensive 19th-century steamboat commerce, acting as a vital “highway” for transporting goods, people, and tourists from the coast (Jacksonville) deep into the state’s interior, creating early tourism and connecting communities like Palatka and Sanford.
