Manhattan Steamer Collection

This limited edition collection commemorates the Manhattan steamer, which served West Lake Okoboji from 1893 to 1899.

The artistic depiction of the Manhattan (drawn by yours truly) is very detailed and highly accurate to the limited photos that exist of the beloved steamer. Its printed description reads:

"Before roads surrounded West Lake Okoboji, travelers arrived at Manhattan Beach only by its steamer, the Manhattan. As one of the largest and finest nineteenth-century steamers, passengers climbed aboard for both travel and leisure—enjoying lively parties, excursions around the lake, and live music played by Manhattan’s very own orchestra."

If you're curious, here's a little more information about the Manhattan from our website's "History" page:

In 1893, the Manhattan Beach Company purchased the old 80 ft steamboat Ben Lennox, which had roughly the same passenger capacity as the Queen (approximately 200-250 people). After an extensive overhaul, the first class steamer was appropriately renamed the Manhattan. Resort guests would travel from the Arnolds Park railroad station to Manhattan Beach free of charge. It was also used for lake excursions every Wednesday and Sunday featuring a brass band orchestra that played live music for its passengers. Unfortunately, the Manhattan rotted and was rather unreliable due to poor maintenance. Thus, the Manhattan took its final voyage in 1899 (just before the resort filed for its first bankruptcy) before it was disassembled and used for parts on the historic steamer, the Okoboji.