Steamboats on Keuka Lake: Penn Yan, Hammondsport and the Heart of the Finger Lakes

The grand age of steamboats on Keuka Lake began in 1835 and was vital to the development of the region. The boats carried excursionists—Victorian tourists—to the resorts and cottages that lined the lakeshore. The communities of Penn Yan, Hammondsport and Branchport that anchor the three branches of the Y-shaped lake flourished. This prosperity helped grow the area's grape and wine production that is so celebrated today. Though the last steamboats were taken out of service in 1915, the roman...