Archive for August, 2009

History in Homes

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

I have been experiencing a problem with large pages.  For an unknown reason I could not add photos or links to one large page.  To solve my problem, I split the page entitled ”It Used to be a River Town” into a history of Georgetown and a history of the steamboat captains homes.  The data about the homes has been placed in another page named “History in Homes.”   I have added more photos and as times permits, I will include copies of some of the deeds for the properties. 

 

There is one fun event description added.  The story about the preparations for the 35th wedding anniversary of Mollie Ebert and John A Trimble is notable.  The redecoration of their parlors by a “force of artists” from Pittsburgh, their elegant supper at 10:00 PM, gifts exchanged…  The details of the story were taken from a newspaper clipping from an unidentified local paper.  I will try to determine the name of the newspaper.

Str Mollie Ebert

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

My biographical data on the Mollie Ebert has been posted.  I had intentionally delayed posting this data till now hoping that I would find photos of the Mollie Ebert.  And Capt George Washington Ebert.  Failed in both endeavors! 

 

The Mollie Ebert was built in 1869 under the eye of Jacob Poe.  She was the masterpiece of his life spent on the water according to family lore.  I have read of only one photo which was taken by Capt Way of a painting owned by Theodore C Poe (son of Jacob).  I know not what became of the painting.

 

The Poe family shared the ownership of many of their boats so I suspect the Mollie Ebert was no different.  They were wealthy by the standards of the day and “generous to a fault” according to Harriet (Calhoon) Ewing, a neighbor for fifty years.

Wellsville River Museum

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

On Sun, Aug 9, I made time to visit the Wellsville River Museum in Wellsville, OH.   The home of the museum is picturesque Victorian home overlooking the Ohio River.  The museum is open only Sundays from 1:00 -5:00 PM from May to Sep.  Back in the day, Wellsville was both a train terminal and a steamboat port so the museum devotes space to both.  It also displays local historical artifacts, such as a mural of the famous Poe battle with Bigfoot and a death mask of Pretty Boyd Floyd who was gunned down by the FBI nearby.  Time well spent.

Wellsville River Museum 9 Aug 2009

Wellsville River Museum 9 Aug 2009

 The museum had the framed master’s license for Jacob Poe dated 24 Mar 1873 on display.  I asked for a copy.  Graciously, the museum volunteers agreed.  To our surprise the single frame had 14 licenses from 1873 -1890 stacked.  The museum agreed to part with one copy so I  now  possess the 1882 master’s license of Jacob Poe, my great great grand uncle.  I am quite proud.

Little Known Georgetown

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

Last Tuesday, I made some time to visit the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.  None of the center associates knew the borough of Georgetown, PA.   So I have provided a MapQuest view of Georgetown’s relationship to Ohio and WV and other river towns, such as Beaver, Aliquippa, Sewickley, and Pittsburgh. 

 

Until the end of the packet era, Georgetown was a “rivertown”.  It had a buzz of activity associated with packets and riverboats.  Today it has an old-fashioned charm.  Compared with the fast pace of the info age, it has an unusual quietness in a pleasing way.

Georgeotwn, Beaver CO, PA MapQuest 2009
Georgeotwn, Beaver CO, PA MapQuest 2009

Richard Calhoon

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

The most accomplished unknown Georgetown steamboat pilot is Capt Richard Calhoon.  His career as an active captain and pilot spanned more than 50 years.  He owned and built approximately 15 boats.  He served as a captain or pilot of civilian transports during the Civil War, including the str Horizon when it collided with the Moderator near Vicksburg.  At least one of his boats ended with a boiler explosion, several ended in fire, and some were dismantled.  A storied career by any measure.

 

I am not related to the Calhoon rivermen.  Most of my info comes indirectly from the Poes and, of course, the boat details are courtesy of Capt Frederick Way’s Packet Directory.

 

If any Calhoons are reading this post, please send corrections/additions/comments.  I have no photos of the Calhoon captains or their vessels.

 

As a newspaper delivery boy in Georgetown, I knew some of the Calhoons.  They were proud of the distinctive spelling of their name, although some Calhoons changed the spelling from “oo” to “ou” at the turn of the century.

More Captains

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

Biographical data on George W Ebert and Thomas W Poe has been loaded.  I continue to work on adding links between the pages for easier movement between subjects.  Some of my “pages” are quite long.  Due to that condition, I am having some trouble updating links and loading photos.  Please be patient as I learn this new art.

Capt Jackman T Stockdale

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

Capt Jackman Taylor Stockdale’s  biographical data has been loaded.

Jackman T Stockdale had a first cousin named Stockdale Jackman.   Unfortunately, I do not know whether Stockdale Jackman’s middle  name was Taylor  or whether his middle initial was “T”.   Joseph H Stockdale was Capt Jackman T Stockdale’s father.  Before moving to Fredericktown, OH from Washington, PA, Joseph H Stockdale and John Jackman had become great friends.  John Jackman married Joseph Stockdale’s sister, Deborah.  Each couple had a son named to honor that friendship resulting in first cousins named Jackman Stockdale and Stockdale Jackman.  Eventually, both families achieved wealth and fame.  Capt Jackman T Stockdale worked in river commerce while the Stockdale Jackman family by marriage became the founders of several of the early pottery companies in East Liverpool, OH.

 

I have no photos of Capt Jackman T Stockdale and few images of his vessels.  You can find more information about the potteries and Lotus Ware at The Museum of Ceramics in East Liverpool Ohio.  The URL for the museum is:

http://www.themuseumofceramics.org/index.html