Archive for January, 2014

Steamboat Memorabilia

Monday, January 20th, 2014

The str Senator Cordill has quite a history.  According to Way’s packet directory, on 27 Jan 1903 the str Senator Cordill participated in the anniversary when the Yazoo River put Vicksburg back on the river.  In 1920, str Senator Cordill was sold and put in the Pittsburgh Charleston trade.  In 1929 str Senator Cordill was purchased by the Ohio River Transportation Co and put in the Pittsburgh Cincinnati trade.  The following travel brochure indicates that the steamer had been “catering to tourists for six years” which means that the river tour document was issued between the years 1926-1929. 

 

Str Senator Codill ca 1920 (Anna L and John F Nash Colleciton)

One of the points of historical interest was “the scene of the famous fight between Adam Poe and the Indian Big Foot”.

 

Capt Frederick Way Jr and Judy Nash in Georgetown, PA in 1971 (Anna L and John F Nash Collection)

Another reason this particular packet is important is that Frederick Way, Jr was its master-pilot in 1931 and pilot in 1932, 1933, and 1934.  The str Senator Cordill sank in Dam 14 on 5 Feb 1934.  The pilots at the time were Wilsie Miller and Fred Way, Jr.  It was unclear who was at the wheel at the time of the incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2014 Francis W Nash
All Rights Reserved

 

Scary Wonderful

Monday, January 13th, 2014

With regrets I inform you that Georgetown suffered a severe blow from the recent Polar Vortex.  There was an electrical problem on Monday eve, the coldest night in a decade or more.  A transformer blew up in flames from an eyewitness report.  And Duquesne Light technicians were on site.  The entire town went dark.  That failure or the subsequent restoration of power resulted in an electrical surge that fried many appliances including TVs, microwaves, washer/driers, cable boxes, etc.  More importantly, furnaces were damaged resulting in frozen pipes.  Capt George Washington Ebert’s home had an indoor temperature of 26 degrees.  A scary, life-threatening situation for Georgetown residents.

 

Duquesne Light deemed the event an act of nature.  Whether Duquesne Light was switching power is speculation, but the electrical fault is mighty suspicious if not villainous.

 

George Washington Ebert (Anna l and John F Nash Collection)

The wonderful part of the story is that my sister discovered another box of steamboat stuff in her basement while recovering from burst water lines. For days, for nights, for months, for years, I had been searching for a photo with a label on the reverse identifying  Capt George Washington Ebert, my great great grandfather.  That box contained the photo. 

All-in-all, it was a happy story that made me sad, and the other way around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2014 Francis W Nash
All Rights Reserved

 

Source Documents

Wednesday, January 8th, 2014

A friend, and Poe relative, introduced me to the personal diary of Isaac T Goodnow.  In her research of Rev Adam Poe who was a cofounder of Ohio Wesleyan University, she crosses into the Poe steamboat land. 

 

Isaac T Goodnow helped establish the community of Manhattan, KN in the 185o’s.  His diaries are an interesting read.  Kansas was the topic of the day.  Slavery was the main issue.  Isaac T Goodnow traveled from Boston to Kansas at least once a year.  Isaac T Goodnow knew Rev Adam Poe who arrived in KN via steamboat to attend a religious conference.

 

In Issac T Goodnow’s travels, he mentioned steamboats often.  However, he rarely named them.  Two daily journal entries are listed below where he named the packets built by Georgetown men:

 

            (1)  str Financier.  At the time of the journal entry, Goodnow would have steamed on str Financier II built for Capt Adam Poe in 1850.   Capt Adam ran the str Financier II for three years and then sold it.  In 1855, he was commanding the str Ella which was also working on the lower Missouri River. 

 

            (2)  str Admiral.    In 1857 Capt Jackman T STockdale was a partner in the ownership of the str Admiral, At that time it is unclear whether he was its captain or pilot. 

 

The Isaac T Goodnow diaries are a fantastic first hand account of the violence in Kansas in the troubled 1850′s.   For me, they also provide source information that confirms my statements that Georgetown steamboats were working at the sharp and dangerous edge of our frontier.

 

 

 

 

Diary of Isaac T. Goodnow

 

Transcribed by staff and volunteers of the Riley County Historical Museum from a typescript of the original diary held in the collection of the Kansas State Historical Society.

 

 

Thursday, 8/16/55         

            Br. Wm. E. left this morning in the steamer Financier for Kansas City.  Hope to see him back soon.  Very rainy.  Drove to Judge W-s 7 miles to dinner.  P.M. rode on to Mr Roberts’ an Illinois man.  Has 120 acres corn.

 

 

Thursday 11/12/57

            Bought 2 land warrants $281.60  Saw my old friend Hugh M. Thompson, formerly of Greenfield.  Did some considerable business, & at 3. P.M. started by Pacific R.R. for Jefferson City, arriving at 9. & taking the steamer Admiral for Leavenworth City.  Lay by till morning on account of the darkness.  Rested tolerably well.  Rainy, P.M. & Evening.

 

 

Copyright © 2014 Francis W Nash
All Rights Reserved