SS California (1848)

SS California, Pacific Mail's first ship on the Panama City to San Francisco route.
History
United States
Name	California
Laid down	4 January 1848
Launched	19 May 1848
Fate	Wrecked Pacasmayo Province, Peru 1895
General characteristics
Length	203 feet (62 m)
Beam	33.5 feet (10.2 m)
Draft	14 feet (4.3 m)
Depth of hold	20 feet (6.1 m)
Propulsion	2 × 26 feet (7.9 m) dia. side paddle wheels

SS California was one of the first steamships to steam in the Pacific Ocean and the first steamship to travel from Central America to North America. She was built for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company which was founded April 18, 1848 as a joint stock company in the State of New York by a group of New York City merchants: William H. Aspinwall, Edwin Bartlett, Henry Chauncey, Mr. Alsop, G.G. Howland and S.S. Howland. She was the first of three steamboats specified in a government mail contract to provide mail, passenger, and freight service from Panama to and from San Francisco and Oregon.