The Clyde Line was established by Thomas Clyde in 1844 and connected Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with other east coast ports. In 1872, the headquarters moved to New York and began connections with the Caribbean Islands. Charles W. Morse's Consolidated Steamship Lines purchased the company in 1907, only to collapse the following year. In 1911, the Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship Lines began operating Clyde Line, which continued to be used under that name until 1932 when the line was combined with the Mallory Line to form the Clyde-Mallory Line. The Clyde-Mallory Line operated until 1949 when it was sold to the Bull Line.

By the mid-1880s, Sanford, Florida had become a major distribution center due to the city's strategic location along Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River. Even before Florida obtained statehood, steamboats frequented the St. Johns River carrying U.S. Army soldiers to Fort Mellon, located on the shores of Lake Monroe, to defend the area against Native Americans during the Seminole Wars. Steamboats were used at the fort and during the Battle of Camp Monroe to relocate Seminoles, explore the St. Johns River, and to distribute military forces. During the second half of the 1830s, steamboats were used to tow barges from the river to Lake Monroe in order to stimulate trade. The first commercial steamboat was developed as the Brock Line in the early 1850s. As trade grew, various wharves and docks were built in locations such as Mellonville Avenue, Palmetto Avenue, Oak Street, and Sanford Avenue. The Debary-Baya Merchant Line began transporting passengers in 1883, which further developed the steamboat industry. The line was purchased by the Clyde Line in 1886 and remained open until 1933. The growth of railroads was the primary cause of the decline of the steamboat industry.]]>
State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.]]> State Library and Archives of Florida]]> http://floridamemory.com/items/show/8223.]]> Print Collection, Florida Photographic Collection, State Library and Archives of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida.]]> Sanford Riverfront Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> State Library and Archives of Florida, and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>