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Another 150th Anniversary (16 Apr 1869)

Tuesday, April 16th, 2019

Today is the 150^th anniversary of the departure of the str Mollie Ebert from St Louis for Ft Benton. According to the diary of Capt Thomas S Calhoon, the str Mollie Ebert left at 4AM on Fri 16 Apr with a load of freight and passengers. Nancy Ann (Poe) Ebert traveled with her husband, Capt George W Ebert on that trip. Nancy Ann Poe’s journal is an invaluable historical document that reveals, first hand, the dangers, tedium, and beauty of the unsettled frontier.

Aboard the str Sallie, Capt Calhoon departed from St Louis for Ft Benton on 24 Apr 1869 in the company of the str Nick Wall and str Tacony.

The packets Mollie Ebert, Sallie and Nick Wall were owned and operated by Georgetown men..

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Posted in History of Georgetown PA, Missouri River Commerce, River history | No Comments »

Westsylvania

Friday, April 12th, 2019

Westsylvania[1] could have become the 14^th member of the colonies rather than the 35^thstate of the Union. The pioneer settlers of the area now known as the northern panhandle of West VA were caught up in border disputes as far back as the Revolutionary War. At times the land was considered a part of PA, OH, IN, KY, and IL. The boundary had been a subject of great controversy, both bloody and political.

Both VA and PA sold the land at different rates. VA’s price was $25 per 100 acres cheaper.

In 1776, a petition was presented to the US Congress by Jaspers Yeats proposing that the new state be named Westsylvania. On verge of war with England, it was almost one-hundred years later before action toward statehood was taken.

The northern panhandle, comprised of Brooke and Hancock Counties, entered the period of the Civil War as a Confederate state and emerged as a new star in the US flag. Other names considered in pioneer days were Vandalia and Kanawah.

Reference.

[1] James F Mullooly, “Steamboat ‘Round the Bend”, Fort Vance Historical Society, 1994, p301-302.

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Posted in Civil War Steamers, History of Georgetown PA, River history | No Comments »

Packet Ownership in 1846-47

Monday, April 8th, 2019

In Pittsburgh, a commercial record of the steamboat arrivals and departures was published every afternoon by the Pittsburgh Board of Trade in the Pittsburgh Daily Post. The data entered included the steamer name, the master, the port to or from, and the river condition

Pittsburgh aily Post 28 Dec 1846, p3.

On 28 Dec 1846, George W Ebert was the master of the str Hudson. It arrived in Pittsburgh from Wheeling, VA. Another Georgetown captain, Capt Dawson ,was in charge of the str Wilmington which arrived from Steubenville.

Commercial Record published in the Pittsburgh Daily Post 18May 1847.

On 18 May 1847, 11 boats arrived in Pittsburgh. From Wheeling, VA, Capt George W Ebert docked the str New England at the Port of Pittsburgh. That same day, 13 boats departed. Capt Poe was the master of the str Hudson bound for Wheeling. Whether the Poe at the wheel was Adam or Jacob is unknown at this time. Another Georgetowner, Capt Dawson departed the Port of Pittsburgh for Steubenville on the str Wilmington.

So, George W Ebert was the master of the str Hudson in 1846 while in 1847 either Adam or Jacob Poe was the master of the same boat. This comparison is a proof that Poe family packets were shared. Profits and losses. Even the command of family packets was based on who was available.

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Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history, Steamer Captains | No Comments »

Play Ball

Thursday, March 28th, 2019

A fun pickup from the The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette dated 01Oct1894. Direct your attention to the boxscore. There has been little change in format in the past 125 years. Traditional statistics, individual and team achievement, are very important to baseball, perhaps more than any other sport.

Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh “boys” lost their final game of that season to the Boston team in Boston.

Boxscore (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , 01Oct1894, p6)

Georgetown was noted as a highly ranked town for amateur baseball. Check out the results of the Georgetown team v Honus Wagner”s barnstormers - The Game.

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Briceland’s Cross-Roads

Tuesday, March 26th, 2019

Briceland’s Crossroads was once an important village. Located at the intersection of the Pittsburgh to Steubenvile Pike (now US Route 22) and the Washington to Georgetown road (now PA Route 18 and earlier the Catfish Camp Trail), it was a buzzing vilage in the days of the stagecoach. It had a newspaper, an academy, a female seminary, one tavern, an annual fair, and many businesses. [1]

The Panhandle Division of the PA RR changed all of that by passing by the village. Today, Florence is an unpretentiout community approximity sixteen miles from Georgetown.

Reference.

[1] James F Mullooly, “Steamboat ‘Round the Bend”, Fort Vance Historical Society, 1994, p62-63.

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Officers of the str Katie Stcodale

Wednesday, March 20th, 2019

More names have been added to the list of officers of the str Katie Stockdale. The names were collected from a newsclip from the Pittsburgh Daily Post dated 3 Dec 1877. With that crew, the str Katie Stockdale left Pittsburgh for Cincinnati on Sat, 1 Dec 1877.

The Pittsburgh Daily Post 3 Dec 1877, p4.

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Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history, Steamer Captains | No Comments »

Steamboats Built in Pittsburgh 1848

Sunday, February 17th, 2019

All Packets Arrivals at the port of Pittsburgh 1848 (The Pittsburgh Gazettet 29 Dec 1848, p3.

A public list of the steamboats built and registered at the Custom House office at the Port of Pittsburgh was published in the Pittsburgh Gazette on 29 Dec 1848. Fiftyt-three steamboats were built; three by Georgetown captains.

Date	Steamboat Name	Captain
26 Apr	Euphrates	J Calhoon
13 Jul	Caledonia	R Calhoon
12 Aug	Tuscarora	J Poe

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Tags: ohio river steamboats
Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history | No Comments »

Philadelphia Interests

Wednesday, February 13th, 2019

The Philadelphia Inquirer published articles about the steamboat traffic on the Ohio River in 1860. Interest in the Ohio River Transportation was a national business concern.

Arrivals and Departures Port of Pittsburgh (The Public Ledger 20Sep1860, p1)

The attached newspaper clip dated 20 Sep 1860 identifies the arrivals and departures at the Port of Pittsburg(h). Business men in Philadelphia were probably transporting their goods via steamboats to the multiple ports identified. Similar information was published in Philadelphia on the regular basis. This particular clip lists a packet of interest, the str Clara Poe.

Mayor Ltr of Commendation (The Pittsburgh Gazette 20Feb1862, p3).

Another article published in the Inquirer dated 20Feb1862 reprinted the complimentary letter from the Mayor of Pittsburgh to the steamboat captains who volunteered their boats and crews to steam to the Cumberland River and return with wounded soldiers. Capt Way reprinted the same letter in the S&D Reflector, Dec 1969. Two of the six captains credited with distinction were Capt Thomas W Poe master of the str Clara Poe and Capt Jackman T Stockdale master of the str Horizon. Both masters and packets were from Georgetown.

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Tags: capt thomas w poe, str clara poe
Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history | No Comments »

Commercial Record of the Port of Pittsburgh 1847

Sunday, February 10th, 2019

Commercial Record published in the Pittsburgh Daily Post 18May 1847.

A commercial record of the steamboat arrivals and departures was published every afternoon by the Pittsburgh Board of Trade in the Pittsburgh Daily Post. The data entered included the steamer name, the master, the port to or from, and the river condition.

On 18 May 1847, 11 boats arrived. From Wheeling, VA, Capt George W Ebert docked the str New England at the Port of Pittsburgh.

That same day, 13 boats departed. Capt Poe was the master of the str Hudson bound for Wheeling. Whether the Poe at the wheel was Adam or Jacob is unknown at this time.

Another Georgetowner, Capt Dawson departed the Port of Pittsburgh for Steubenville on the str Wilmington. There were three Dawsons working on the river before 1850 as captains and pilots: Benoni, George, and Robert D. The commander of the str Wilmington is a mystery.

Observations of other daily reports from the Port of Pittsburgh show similar participation of Georgetown men. Such statistics are unlikely to occur by chance indicating that Georgetown played a significant role in early Ohio River transportation.

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Tags: adam poe, capt george w ebert, georgetown, jacob poe, ohio river steamboats, port of pittsburgh
Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history, Uncategorized | No Comments »

14 Nov 1855

Tuesday, February 5th, 2019

One day in the Golden Age of Steamboats at the Port of Pittsburgh. Think glass chandeliers in the parlor, oil paintings in every stateroom, thick carpets, steaming foods piled high. Life was at its best on the river.

This specific Wednesday,14 Nov 1855, was documented in the Pittsburgh Daily Post on page 3. First, the column ”News for River Men” described the weather – clear and pleasant. The river level mark was 5ft 11in, and falling. The disposition of seven steamboats was described. Three of the packets hailed from Georgetown. The destinations of the other four packets were Wheeling, St Louis, and two for Cincinnati.

News for River Men (The Pittsburgh Daily Post 14 Nov 1855, p3)

Georgetown Packets.

Steamer	Master	Destination	Date of Depart
Washington City	Capt George W Ebert	New Orleans	Today
Clifton	Capt Jacob Poe	Nashville	Today
JC Fremont	Cat Jackman T Stockdale	St Louis	Today

In the same column of print was a series of information , or advertisements, for regular packet service to various river ports. In addition to the three packets cited above, the str Silver Wave in its advertisement was listed for departure at 10:00AM on Wed, 14 Nov 1855. The str Silver Wave was commanded by Capt John S McMillin Georgetown who later earned fame for his service during the Civil War.

From the ”News for River Men” and the advertisement the complete view of Georgetown’s contribution to Ohio River transportation on that Wed. The clerks names are included in the ads. All are well known Georgetown men, excluding M’Cance.

Steamboat Advertisements ( The Pittsburgh Daily Post , 14 Nov 1855, p3)

Georgetown Packets on Wed, 14Nov1855.

Steamer	Master	Clerks	Destination	Date of Depart
Washington City	Capt George W Ebert	S Peppard	New Orleans	Today
Clifton	Capt Jacob Poe	M’Cance	Nashville	Today
JC Fremont	Capt Jackman T Stockdale	A Stockdale	St Louis	Today
Silver Wave	Capt John S McMillin	Wilkins	St Louis	Today

That day other Georgetown captains, such as Jacob Poe’s brothers (Adam and Thomas), Jackman Stockdale’s nephew (Thomas S Calhoon), and the Calhoon brothers (John and Richard) were no doubt plying the watery highways to faraway ports with the hope of being home from the Christmas holiday.

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Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history, Steamer Captains | No Comments »

Archive for the ‘History of Georgetown PA’ Category

Another 150th Anniversary (16 Apr 1869)

Westsylvania

Packet Ownership in 1846-47

Play Ball

Briceland’s Cross-Roads

Officers of the str Katie Stcodale

Steamboats Built in Pittsburgh 1848

Philadelphia Interests

Commercial Record of the Port of Pittsburgh 1847

14 Nov 1855

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