In 1845, while it already owned the Ann McKim, which was regarded as the fastest ship afloat, the firm built the Rainbow, which was even faster.

Howland & Aspinwall operated some of the most famous clipper ships ever built. Prior to founding Pacific Mail, Aspinwall had extensive experience in the shipping business as a partner in Howland & Aspinwall. Two steamships are shown, both of which are in Trans-Pacific service at the time. The Pacific Mail docks in San Francisco, circa 1860s.

On October 5 or Octothe Pacific Mail's first of these steamers, the SS California, departed from New York City to run service from Panama to the West Coast, traveling around Cape Horn to San Francisco-coincidentally, the California Gold Rush began in January of that year, and the steamer-and its sisters, Oregon and Panama-took on many hopeful miners en route. In January 1848, the company ordered three mail steamers from the shipyard of William Henry Webb: the SS California, SS Panama and SS Oregon. This company was to move the mail from Panama to the West Coast, being paid $199,000 per annum by the U.S.

That same year, William Henry Aspinwall secured a 10-year government contract through Arnold Harris, with the New York State Senate incorporating the Pacific Mail Steamship Company with a capital of $400,000, of which Aspinwall was elected the first president. When the 29th United States Congress passed the Mail Steamer Bill (1847), mail delivery was authorized to be routed by ship from the East Coast of the United States to the Pacific Coast via the Isthmus of Panama, with two steamship routes operating: New York City to Chagres, Colombia on the Eastern side of the isthmus, and then a second route from Panama City, Colombia to Astoria, Oregon. SS California, Pacific Mail's first ship, that departed New York almost empty, before being filled with hopeful gold miners heading for California Gold Rush starting in 1848.įollowing the end of the Mexican–American War in 1848, the United States West Coast of the United States now extended from Puget Sound to San Diego.

Turbo mailer 2.7.10 licence key