Beginning in 1842, one could travel from Washington, D.C. to Richmond, Virginia by boarding a Washington & Fredericksburg Steamboat Company boat at the Washington waterfront which sailed down the Potomac River to Aquia Landing where one disembarked and boarded a Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad train enroute to Richmond. The steamboat company had been in existence for some time prior, and the RF&P acquired majority control of it in order to complete the connection from Washington to its trains. The RF&P renamed the steamboat company the Potomac Steamboat Company in 1855.

On April 19, 1861, a few days after the Civil War began, the United States government seized four of the company’s steamboats which practically dissolved the company. The Potomac Steamboat Company reorganized in 1869, and the terminus was moved from Aquia to Quantico Creek. In 1872, the RF&P completed a direct track link between Richmond and Washington, and ended its contract with the Potomac Steamboat Company. The company continued to operate until 1891, and the steamboats "George Leary”, “Keyport”, “Excelsior” and “Georgeanna” made up a part of its fleet.