Based on the records from the National Archives, I loaded a page describing the burning of the str Clara Poe on the Cumberland River. The page link is called A Case for Indemnity.
Posts Tagged ‘jacob poe’
The Destruction of the Clara Poe
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010A Glance at the Compromise of 1850
Thursday, August 12th, 2010The Compromise of 1850 did not answer the question of whether slavery would be allowed into the new western territories. The transcontinental railroad was one of many factors to finally force the answer. Would there be a northern route through Chicago or a southern route with New Orleans as its hub? The northern route had the Indian problem. The Nebraska Indian Territory was populated by native tribes who had been shoved out of the east. To build the railroad, the land would have to be lawfully available for settlement.
On 4 Jan 1854, Senator Stephen Douglas introduced a bill to seize and organize the territory into two states: Kansas and Nebraska. The legislation also included a clause making the Missouri Compromise inoperative. The bill passed. The pro-slavery South won a battle. The issue of slavery in the new territories would be voted on by the inhabitants of the states.
The North exploded in fury. Once conservative businessmen became stark mad abolitionists forming companies to establish “free state” colonies in the two states. The rough Missouri frontiersmen seethed as they watched the steamboats full of “the filth, scum, and offscourings of the East bound for Kansas”. [1] Missouri Ruffians, as the proslavery forces were called, stole the territory’s first election.
During this time, Captains Adam Poe and Thomas W Poe worked on the Missouri and Kansas Rivers. The str Georgetown commanded by Thomas W Poe was working the Missouri in 1853 and was fatally snagged on 11 May 1855 at Bellefontaine Bluffs on the Missouri. Capt Adam Poe on the Financier No 2 ventured to Ft Riley on the Kansas River in 1854 — one of three steamers to reach the fort. In 1855, the Financier No 2 was one of six steamers to supply the settlements along the Kansas River Valley. [2] The str Ella owned by Capt Adam Poe and others from Georgetown was also working on the Missouri in 1854. Three Poe steamers on the Missouri during the same 1854 season suggest that either Jacob Poe or George W Poe was probably commanding the third boat.
The Poes were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Georgetown. In fact, it was reported that boats commanded by Adam Poe tied up along the shore on the Sabbath. In 1844 the Methodist Episcopal Church split into two conferences, North and South, over the issue of slavery. Using this thin thread of conjecture as evidence, I believe that the Poes transported abolitionists with their guns to Kansas in the 1850′s.
References.
[1] Debby Applegate, The Most Famous Man in America, Three Leaves Press, 2006, p 278.
[2] William E Lass, Navigating the Missouri/ Steamboating on Nature’s Highway, 1819-1935, (University of Oklahoma Press, 2007), p 142.
More Golden Highway 1866
Thursday, May 6th, 2010Thomas S Calhoon, as first clerk of the str Amelia Poe, sighted 16 steamboats on his trip up river and 30 boats down river. From St Louis, the trip to Ft Benton was 72 ½ days; down 57 days with three days to discharge freight and passengers.
Thomas S Calhoon left Georgetown, Pa on 12 Mar 1866 and returned to his home on 19 Aug 1866. That was 160 days on the river = almosst half the year. He took approximately three weeks in Georgetown before he shipped out on 5 Oct 1866.
I have added his journal entries for the down river trip to the page TS Calhoon’s Book 1866.
George WE Poe – Herb Juice Salesman
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010A fun story I wanted to share from an unknown and undated newpaper clipping about George WE Poe. This clipping is one of the sources I used to identify George WE Poe in my photos. Many inherited photos are still unidentified.
George WE Poe lived a long life. From piloting troop transports at at he end of the Civil War till his retirement in 1895, he saw and accomplished much. His remaining days (48 years) were lived well in Georgetown, PA with an occasional business venture in Pittsburgh.
Receipt dated 1852
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Poe receipt dated 1852 (Frances and John Finley Collection)
My translation of this receipt follows:
| George Poe | 3 Apr | Financier |
100.00 |
| 3 May | Columbian |
500.96 |
|
| 6 May | Financier |
150.00 |
|
|
750.96 |
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|
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| Jacob Poe | 25 May | New Boat |
400.00 |
| 5 May | Caton Botting |
20.00 |
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| 6 May |
200.00 |
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| 5 Jun |
2.00 |
||
|
622.00 |
|||
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|
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| Joseph Calhoon | New Boat |
500.38 |
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|
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| Samuel Todd | To cash by Jacob Poe |
600.00 |
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| S Hiat |
200.00 |
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| Caton Boting |
20.00 |
||
|
622.00 |
|||
|
|
This document, undated and unsigned, I assume was written after 5 Jun 1852 and its author would have been Andrew Martin Poe, the eldest son of Thomas and Elizabeth Hephner Poe. Andrew Martin managed the family affairs while his father and brothers worked on the river away from home. Never a packet captain, Andrew Martin did work as a mate on several of his brothers’ boats.
The document also suggests that the Poes had an interest in the str Columbian. The str Columbian was built in Brownsville in 1848, for Capt William Dean who sold it to Capt Thomas Greenlee in 1850. Listed in Way’s Packet Directory numbered 1252, Capt Way made no mention of the Poes or any other Georgetown owners in his packet biography. The boat was off the lists in 1855. From this thin thread of evidence, one word on this document, I claim one of the Poe brothers owned the Columbian in 1852.
I have not yet been able to interpret the words “Caton Bot(t)ing” and “S Hiat”.
Ohio River Museum Donation
Friday, March 19th, 2010
Ohio River Museum Donation ca 1965
This copy of an old newspaper clipping provides the details of a donation to the Wellsville River Museum in Wellsville, OH. The gifts were presented by people from Georgetown, PA: Capt Albert C Gilmore, Mrs Louis H (Lillian May Poe) Wagner, Mrs Edwin W (Clara Laughlin) Coopper. and Edna E Dawson . The contributors were all associated with river commerce and river history. I do not know which local paper carried the article. Nor do I know the date it was published except that the date was before 1971.
The second paragraph indicates the last pilot’s license of Capt Jacob Poe was donated by Lillian May Poe. This framed license actually had thirteen licenses stacked. The Wellsville museum trustees graciously gave me the one dated 11 Dec 1882. Lilian May also an old Poe family plate.
Jacob Poe’s Master License dated 11 Dec 1882 (F Nash Colleciton)
Copyright © 2016 Francis W Nash All Rights Reserved
No part of this website may be reproduced without permission in writing from the author.
Letter – Keokuk Northern Line
Saturday, October 10th, 2009I have decrypted a letter dated 1 Oct 1880 written by William Albert Calhoon on the Keokuk Northern Line letterhead .
Ltr WA Coalhoon to Parthenia Calhoon 1 Oct 1880 (Anna L and John F Nash Collection)
La Crosse Oct 1st 1880
Dear Sister
I arrived here
on the Red Wing last
Tuesday to go on the Charlie
Cheever with Tom we will
leave here this evening for St
Paul and will be back about
Oct 5th or 6th Joe left here for
St Louis last Sunday evening
on the Str Annie had one of
Joes girls up on the Red Wing
From Dubuque to McGregor I
had a splendid time oh how
I wished you had been along
She is going up to Minneapolis
with us next trip, will close these
few lines will write from St Paul
with much love from all Wm A Calhoon
“Dear Sister” is Parthenia Parr Calhoon (b 16 May 1855 in Georgetown, PA d 10 Jan 1946). She had a twin brother named Joseph MC Calhoon – yes that was his middle name. Joseph never married so I do not know who “one of Joe’s girls” would be mentioned in this letter. The “ Tom” in the letter was an older brother Thomas Franklin Calhoon. Their father Joseph MC Calhoon (b 1823 d 21 Apr 1855) was a steamboat owner and captain who died of cholera while near St Louis. The story of his death and the return of his body to Georgetown, PA is told in the Georgetown tale – The Body.
In 1866 Parthenia Parr Calhoon, the wife of Joseph MC Calhoon, died. Five young children were orphaned. Capt George Washington Ebert , half brother of Parthenia Parr, was appointed guardian of the five Calhoon children. The Calhoon twins, Parthenia and Joseph, were reared in “The Poe House” by Mrs Jacob Poe (Mary Ann (Ebert) Poe, the sister of George W Ebert and half sister of Parthenia Parr). From the 1870 Census Report, I assume the three older boys lived with Capt George W Ebert.
Parthenia Parr Calhoon (b 1855) spent her entire life with her aunt and the Poe family in “The Poe House”. After Jacob Poe and his wife died, Parthenia continued to live in “The Poe House” with Charles Edgar Poe and his daughter Lillian May. George WE Poe and his wife also lived in “The Poe House” at that time. After Charley Poe died, Parthenia lived with her niece Lillian May and Lillian’s uncle, George WE Poe.
It is quite confusing, but important when you think of the names associated with Aunt Parthenia. Calhoon, Parr, Ebert, Poe - major names in Ohio River steamboat history.
The author of the letter, “Wm A”, was an older brother of Aunt Parthenia (William Albert Calhoon (b 13 Jan 1852 d 25 Oct 1889 unmarried)) . He died of “consumption” after spending some time in a hospital in Cairo, IL in Jul 1889. I have two letters dated 5 Jul 1889 written by William Albert to sister Parthenia Parr Calhoon and brother Thomas Franklin Calhoon. These two letters were written on Cherokee Packet Company letterhead four months before his death.
In the Keokuk letter to Parthenia Parr Calhoon, William Albert mentioned several steamers. The construction of the steamer Red Wing was supervised by Jacob Poe according to Capt Way’s Packet Directory. The str Charlie Cheever (officially named Charles Cheever ) was a sternwheeler built in Brownsville, PA where many Poe boats were constructed, but I do not know its owner nor master. The Annie was a sternwheeler built in 1877 for the Keokuk Line. I have found no historical data on her owner or master.
I do not know why William Albert Calhoon was traveling on the upper Mississippi at that time. Whether the Poes and/or Calhoons had any interest in the Keokuk Packet Line or the Keokuk Northern Packet Line is unknown at this time. More research and some luck is required to break through this mystery.
Boats in the Civil War
Thursday, September 10th, 2009The following list of steamers owned by the Georgetown captains summarizes their Civil War activity. According to the Gibsons’ dictionary six boats were listed at Shiloh. Two others were chartered during the correct period and were listed at Vicksburg in 1863 so I assume they were also at Pittsburg Landing. The Neptune crashed into the Clarksville Bridge on 19 Mar 1862 so she may not have been transporting to troops and supplies to Shiloh battlefield. I may be incorrect. The Melnotte was not chartered until 1 Apr 1863 so I have no evidence that she participated in the movement of troops in support of Shiloh. Gibson’s Dictionary does indicate that the Melnotte transported troops and artillery to counter Morgan’s Raiders who had crossed the Ohio River in Jul 1863.
Listed in
Steamer Gibsons Way Shiloh Owner/Capt
Argyle Y Y Y Jacob Poe
Clara Poe Y Y Y Thomas W Poe
Ella Y Y Chart Adam Poe
Horizon Y Y Y JT Stockdale
Jacob Poe Y Y Y Jacob Poe
Kenton Y Y Chart George W Ebert
Leonora Y Y Chart Richard Calhoon
Melnotte Y Y N Richard Calhoon
Neptune Y Y ? Adam Poe
Yorktown Y Y Y Jacob Poe
The Yorktown is a mystery. According to Way’s Directory, she was not put into service till 1863. Gibson’s Dictionary has the Yorktown in Pittsburg Landing in 1862. I do not know who is correct. Maybe another source will confirm its participation?!?
The Georgetown captains and their crews were civilians. Whether impressed or chartered by the Quartermaster, the subject of military transport by civilian crews generated legal problems in the area of discipline, pay, handling of prisoners, eligibility for pensions, etc. There was discernible friction between the military and civilian regulatory agencies. From my reading, a civilian streamer, especially if impressed, was not a good business proposition.
Part history, part puzzle?
History in Homes
Saturday, August 29th, 2009I 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, 2009My 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.