On this day in 1895, a group of Black Americans organized the National Steamboat Co., a steamer, in Washington, D.C.
The group sailed the luxury steamer “George Leary” between the nation’s capital and Norfolk, Va., during the waning years of steamboat popularity in America.
The luxury boat held a capacity of 1,500 passengers and included three decks, sixty-four state rooms, on hundred berths, and a dining room.
The George Leary was a triumph for Black entry into business.
