The World famous Fanny Ann steamboat has several notable actions in our young countries history. The ship was first built in 1842 to transport supplies for the Sutter's fort and for the greater Sacramento area. It was one of Sacramento's first reliable means for transporting supplies throughout the Sacramento Valley. The big four of the Railroad companies utilized Fanny Ann to transport supplies until 1852 when the disastrous fire of 1852 hit and it was then used to transport supplies to fight the fire, some say if Fanny Ann was not present the whole city would have gone up in flames. Fanny Ann was then asked to do another tremendous task for the United States. It was called to duty on March 10 1862 until May 22, 1862. She was used supply 30,000 union troops in the Red River , Louisiana against the 12,000 confederate soldiers. The Union did not win this battle. The remaining war supplies were transported to the third battle of Chattanooga where the union drove the confederate force down to nothing.The Pinkerton's then escorted Fanny Ann back to it's home in Sacramento where it was purchased by local madam and saloon proprietor Big Annie Fanny.She immediately converted the ship to more recreational uses and docked it adjacent to her saloon near the Sacramento River.The boat and Ms. Fanny became so popular that Ms. Fanny Changed her name to Fanny Ann.Then tragedy struck on the fateful night of July 4, 1869 when an unexplained fire broke out during a particularly rowdy party on the ship.She salvaged everything she could from the vessel, including the cannon that now sits above the entrance to the legendary Fanny Ann's Saloon, and those possessions live on adorning the walls of her historic watering hole. No visit to Old Sacramento would be complete without a stop at this magnificent monument to the past.