Posts Tagged ‘steamboat’
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
Tags: fred way jr, georgetown, ohio river steamboats, steamboat
Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history, Steamer Captains | No Comments »
Thursday, November 7th, 2013
Highfalutin, no apostrophe of course, is clearly the cropped form of highfaluting. Today it means pompous or pretentious or excessively ornate. It first appeared in American print in the mid-1800s. There are several possible origins. My favorite origin is the steamboat jargon taken from the idea that wealthy people booked passage on the upper decks far away from the animals and cargo in the hold. The Texas deck was closest to the pineapple topped stacks or flutes as they were sometimes called.
Copyright © 2013 Francis W Nash
All Rights Reserved
Tags: missouri river steamboat, steamboat
Posted in River history | No Comments »
Monday, April 22nd, 2013
Reading historical accounts of events that took place 150 years ago provides enjoyment. But not in a normal fun sense. These sesquicentennial histories are serious because they observe a celebration that commemorates the most turbulent era in our nation’s history. Somewhere in all this the contributions of steamboat men and their steamboats has been sadly overlooked.
Copyright © 2013 Francis W Nash
All Rights Reserved
Tags: civil war transports, ohio river steamboats, steamboat
Posted in Civil War Steamers, River history | No Comments »
Friday, March 29th, 2013
If there is a “night shade” hovering over any stone in the Georgetown Cemetery, it would be the spirit of Capt Thomas Washington Poe for good reason. Capt Thomas Poe was arguably the most far-famed and ill-fated steamboat captain from Georgetown, PA. Thomas Washington Poe was born in 1819 in New Lisbon, Columbiana Co, OH. He died on 31 Dec 1881 aboard the str Fearless on his way to Pittsburgh.
Capt Thomas W Poe with wives, Phebe and Martha Jane (F Nash Collection)
Misfortune paid its respects to Capt Thomas Poe many times and often far from home. On 11 May 1855 the str Georgetown was fatally snagged at Bellefontaine Bluffs on the Missouri in route to a military post. The str Georgetown was owned by Thomas W Poe and other partners from Georgetown, PA. He was the principal owner of the str Clara Poe which went up in flames during the Civil War - burned by rebel forces on 17 Apr 1865 at Eddyville on the Cumberland River. He also owned the str Amelia Poe which was a complete loss when snagged on the upper Missouri river on 24 May 1868 and salvaged by 1,500 riotous Indians. And he was the
Thomas Poe Illustration in Life on the Mississippi
owner of the str Nick Wall which met a tragic end on the Mississippi River near Napoleon, AK on 18 Dec 1870. Here a grisly incident occurred that Mark Twain retold in “Life on the Mississippi”. The boat struck a snag and sunk rapidly. Though injured himself by the falling roof, Capt Thomas W Poe attempted to save his wife trapped in a stateroom. He chopped a hole in the roof with an ax striking the unfortunate Martha Jane (Troxell) Poe in the head. Martha Jane Poe, fatally wounded, was returned to Georgetown for burial.
Although Thomas W died on 31 Dec 1881 aboard the str Fearless on his way to Pittsburgh, his spirit lived on ― in the courts. The steamer sank eight months later on 26 Aug 1882 on the Missouri. The legal case regarding the property loss was finally decided by the Supreme Court of Missouri in Oct 1887― not in favor of the Poe heirs. This verdict feels perfectly consistent with the trend of Thomas Washington Poe’s lfe.
Copyright © 2013 Francis W Nash
All Rights Reserved
Tags: capt thomas w poe, civil war transports, georgetown, missouri river, missouri river steamboat, ohio river steamboats, samuel l clemens, steamboat
Posted in Civil War Steamers, History of Georgetown PA, Missouri River Commerce, River history, River Tales, Steamer Captains | No Comments »
Saturday, September 8th, 2012
The biography of Capt Jacob Poe has been updated. Data acquired from the Certificates of Enrollment for the port of Pittsburgh at the National Archives has been included for some of the early Poe family steamboats. By “early” I mean before 1848 when Capt Way’s Packet Directory starts its history of steamboats.
Capt Jacob Poe was also in command of several keel boats. I intend to add data on these Georgetown keel boats in the near future.
Copyright © 2012 Francis W Nash
All Rights Reserved
Tags: georgetown, jacob poe, keel boat, steamboat
Posted in Civil War Steamers, History of Georgetown PA, Missouri River Commerce, River history, River Tales, Steamer Captains | No Comments »
Thursday, April 5th, 2012
Still owned by Capt Jackman T Stockdale, the str Horizon was pressed into Civil War duty serving at the Battle of Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee River on Apr 6-7, 1862. Also in 1862 with a number of other Pittsburgh based boats, the Horizon was called to the Cumberland River to relieve sick and wounded soldiers. [1]
References.
[1] Frederick Way, Jr.,Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994, (Ohio University Press, Athens 1994), p. 217.
Copyright © 2012 Francis W Nash
All Rights Reserved
Tags: capt jackman t stockdale, steamboat, str horizon
Posted in Civil War Steamers, History of Georgetown PA, River history, Steamer Captains | No Comments »
Thursday, September 15th, 2011
Proceeding on.
Marietta – nice place.
Capt John Calhoon of Georgetown, PA was the victim of an accidental drowning in the Ohio River at Marietta in 1846. At the time, he commanded one of Jacob Poe’s boats according to Harriet Calhoon Ewing during an interview conducted by Capt Frederick Way. During that period, Jacob Poe owned and operated four steamers: Fairmont, John B Gordon, Tuscarora, and John B Gordon No 2. Jacob Poe’s brother, Adam, was the principal owner of the Cinderella, Pioneer and Financier during the same period. To date, I have not been able to confirm Harriet Calhoon Ewing’s statement. Nor have I found any information about an accidental drowning in 1846 at Marietta. Capt John Calhoon was the father of Capt Thomas S Calhoon and the grandfather of Harriet Calhoon.
I failed to satisfy some of my Ohio River/Marietta/steamboat questions so I took a side trip to Athens, OH to visit their Historical Society and the library at Ohio U. Again, no luck, but the Rare Books Library at Ohio State has papers of Capt William B Anderson who was a pilot on the str Kenton.
Tags: adam poe, georgetown, jacob poe, steamboat
Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history, River Tales | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
Westering was a concept developed early in American history declaring that our fate was to rule the land from sea to sea – never mind those already dwelling there. The chant from our leaders was “Westward Ho!” The Ohio River provided westward passage for early explorers, trappers, settlers, and travelers.
Westering was only logical. Because of the geography of the Ohio and Missouri Rivers, it was the greatest theme of our early expansion.
Tags: missouri river, missouri river steamboat, ohio river steamboats, steamboat, westering
Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history, River Tales | No Comments »
Saturday, August 6th, 2011
While proof reading the Benjamin Mackall Laughlin book, I learned that I had missed a steamboat owned by Adam Poe. The missing steamboat was the str Pioneer built in 1846 in the Pittsburgh region for Capt Adam Poe. The str Pioneer is listed in The Lytle-Holdcamper Lists, but I did not know it was owned by Adam Poe. A note alongside the steamer name in the BM Laughlin book provided the information.
BM Laughlin also provided personal information which I find fascinating. Another example follows:
Magnolia stern wheel. I was on her quit & went home. (Sept 28th, 1853 got married to Miss Annie Blackmore) Went on the steamer James Park Oct 31 1853 went to St Louis from there to New Orleans got back about Christmas. Wife died June 4th 1854 (SB James Park burnt on Mississippi 1856) BML
BM Laughlin was married three times: Anne R Blackmore, Mary Johnstown, and Sarah M Bain.
Tags: adam poe, Benjamin M Laughlin, georgetown, ohio river steamboats, steamboat, The Lytle-Holdcamper List
Posted in History of Georgetown PA, River history | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
I have been thinking about Capt Jacob Poe. Uncle Jake as he was known to all in Georgetown, PA had a fascinating life which deserves more homage than I have offered. Events involving Jacob Poe and the str Clara Poe interest me on two levels:
(1) What was the pilot certification test in 1890? Could a steamboat man aged 77 years know every bar, chute, shoal on the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers between Pittsburgh and Nashville?
(2) Who was Chas C Townsend? As the US Army Deputy Quartermaster General in 1890, Chas C Townsend signed the letter denying Jacob Poe compensation for the loss of the str Clara Poe which was burned by rebels on 17 Apr 1865. It was Chas C Townsend who wrote a note in the margin of an earlier letter requesting an investigation of the event by the Dept of War. That undated letter I assume was written much earlier than the final correspondence. The battle for compensation was waged over 25 years through six presidencies ― with the same man ― Chas C Townsend.
I hope to find some reasonable explanations to both questions.
Tags: civil war transports, georgetown, jacob poe, steamboat, str clara poe, us army quartermaster
Posted in Civil War Steamers, History of Georgetown PA, River history, Steamer Captains | No Comments »
One of the points of historical interest was “the scene of the famous fight between Adam Poe and the Indian Big Foot”.
