Public Conveyances. 245 



George Beal took charge, and so continued until she was sold in 

 the spring of 1832 to go to Eastport, Me. She was a much smaller 

 boat than the " Eagle," with but one deck, the after part of which 

 was raised. Her engine was " on the low-pressure principle," and 

 she made the passage in about two hours. With a good stiff 

 breeze the sailing sloop packets from Hingham could sail faster 

 than this steamboat. On one occasion when she had gone as far 

 as the Castle a fresh " nor'wester" set in, and Capt. Thaxter had 

 to put her about and return to Hingham. The fare for the trip 

 was 37£ cents. An advertisement in the Hingham Gazette, May 

 21, 1830, states that " the proprietors have erected a pier at Barnes's 

 Rocks, from which the boat can start any time of tide." 



The Boston and Hingham Steam Boat Company was incorpo- 

 rated June 10, 1831, and early steps were taken towards building 

 a new boat and erecting a hotel in Hingham. The boat was built 

 and named " General Lincoln," making her first trip to Boston 

 June 16, 1832, under 

 the command of Capt. 

 George Beal, who was 

 her only commander 

 during her service on 

 this route. This boat 

 was built in Philadel- 

 phia. She had two 

 boilers and two en- 

 gines, burnt wood, like her predecessors, and made the trip to 

 Boston in an hour and a half. The fare was 37£ cents until 

 1844, when it was reduced to 25 cents. This has been the usual 

 fare ever since. She was advertised as " ready to tow vessels in 

 Boston Harbor between her regular trips." This boat was sold 

 early in 1845, and the " Danin " took her place on the route for 

 a short time before the " Mayflower " arrived here. 



The hotel which the company decided to build was the Old 

 Colony House. It was opened June 4, 1832, and was built on 

 " Neck Gate Hill." The hill then became known as " Old Colony 

 Hill." 



The house was an unprofitable investment, and in 1837 the 

 Company voted to sell the whole property, — steamboat and Old 

 Colony House. This was done March 28, 1837. A new company 

 with new by-laws was subsequently formed under the same name, 

 and the steamboat continued to be one of Hingham's institutions. 

 The hotel subsequently passed into private ownership, and after 

 varying fortunes as a summer resort was burned Oct. 7, 1872. 



In connection with the Steamboat Company and Old Colony 

 House was the Old Colony Grove on Summer Street, southeast of 

 the hotel, which was for many years used as a place of resort for 

 picnics and excursions by steamer. 



After the Steamboat Company had driven piles for a wharf op- 

 posite the bend in the channel, about 1832, they intended to make 



