The Steamship Authority's roots trace back to the 1833-established Nantucket Steamboat Company.

Demand for regular steamship service between Cape Cod and Nantucket increased following the opening of the Cape Cod Railroad's Hyannisport station in 1854.
The same year, the company built a terminal near the rail station and renamed itself the Nantucket and Cape Cod Steamboat Company.
The company's two vessels, Telegraph and Massachusetts, now began to only serve Hyannis, rather than making the longer trip to Woods Hole and New Bedford.
In 1855, the steamships were replaced by the Island Home, the company's first vessel specifically engineered for the Nantucket Sound.
The Steamship Authority's roots trace back to the 1833-established Nantucket Steamboat Company.
Demand for regular steamship service between Cape Cod and Nantucket increased following the opening of the Cape Cod Railroad's Hyannisport station in 1854. The same year, the company built a terminal near the rail station and renamed itself the Nantucket and Cape Cod Steamboat Company. The company's two vessels, Telegraph and Massachusetts, now began to only serve Hyannis, rather than making the longer trip to Woods Hole and New Bedford. In 1855, the steamships were replaced by the Island Home, the company's first vessel specifically engineered for the Nantucket Sound.
Steamship Authority