Steamboat ‘Suwanee’, Greenfield Village Museum 1949

This authentic 1940s color photograph, captured on July 11, 1949, depicts the iconic steamboat Suwanee navigating the Suwanee River within the Greenfield Village museum grounds in Dearborn, Michigan. The archival image highlights the vessel’s classic paddle-wheel design, white wooden railings, and twin black smokestacks, with its reflection clearly visible in the calm river water. A small white rowboat is moored along the grassy bank in the foreground, while a dense grove of summer trees frames the background. Greenfield Village, founded by Henry Ford, was designed to preserve pieces of American history; the Suwanee was a replica of the boat that once took Thomas Edison on trips in Florida. The Suwanee remains a popular attraction at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village today, though the vessel has been replaced by newer iterations over the decades to continue the tradition of river excursions. This factual record preserves the tranquil, historic atmosphere of one of America’s premier outdoor history museums during the late 1940s. All our images are available as royalty-free instant downloads for use in books, media, and creative projects – or make your own prints for home, work, or as a truly unique gift.