p. 1071 - on Upper Mississippi River, believed to be '1902-1910' Davenport, Iowa. First as sternwheel 'J.S' J.S. 'first ' J.S. excursion boat built at Jeffersonville, Indiana. 1901 - size 175'x33'x5.5'. engines 18"x7' stroke, built for Captain John Streckfus Sr. Originally placed in Davenport - Clinton, Iowa daily trade, offering "moonlight excursions". In this trade she was found to be too large and heavy to run the rapids every day. She was withdrawn and operated exclusively as an excursion boat, and made great success as such. She was lost by burning, on June 25, 1910 at "bad ax bend," near Victory Wisconsin. It is said that the fire which caused her destruction was touched off by a passenger who was confined in the jail located in hold.
Dec - 17 - 1962. Steamer "Bowling Green."
"Here My Friends," is my "Really-Real" first Steamboat Love. She - was built at Howards in 1904 - came out, new in early 1905. "And I mean - new." No hand me downs from any other steamboats. I went striker on her May 17th 1905, and remained for two years, without pay, except occasionally I had a chance to run as roof watchman for which I got "big pay" $2.80 a week, at the end of the week I had my $2.80. She was short and sweet, had to be short to get through the Green River locks. She coined the money for her owners. Her dimensions were 122' X 32' X 5' not overall. She had two boilers, with brooms in them ever hear of that? Well, I will explain to you sometime, I helped to operate them. Her engines were 4" X 6' stroke. This picture scene on Lower Green River, down bounds, for Evansville, note, the passengers on boiler deck. Cattle on main deck. Coops of poultry on head and roof. This and more I have seen on her many, many times, the on watch pilot as seen at wheel is definitely the late Captain James A. Burnette Sr. I was on watch at this time Chief Joseph Wattum, we always stood the forward watch. The Late Captain Sam G Smith was master, this in about 1906, more when I see you, from Myrtle and Courtney M. Ellis.
On August 10, 1905, while enroute up the Ohio River, she struck a snag at Sister's Island, below Golconda and near Bay City, Illinois and tore a hole 40 feet long in her hull, causing the boat to sink in shallow water. Three towboats went to the rescue of the wreck - the Fulton, Ranger and Wash Honshell - assisted in raising the Williams. She was then placed on the ways for repairs; damage estimated at $25,000.
The Chalmette was built in 1881 at Jeffersonville, Indiana as the City of Vicksburg for the Anchor Line Packet Company of St. Louis, Missouri. She was wrecked by the cyclone in St. Louis on May 27, 1896 along with four other Anchor Line steamers. In the process of rebuilding by Captain W. H. Thorwegan as an excursion boat she was purchased by the Illinois Central Railroad interests and renamed the Chalmette, after a New Orleans suburb. She continued to operate as a packet boat on the lower Mississippi but sunk [sic] in 1904 at the head of Deadman's Bend, about 60 miles below Natchez., Betsy Ann in the background.
Photographed on board the QUEEN CITY some 60 years ago. The negative ws found in a second-hand book store in Cincinnati, Ohio with no clue as to who took it, The roof bell showing on the right today is doing service on the DELTA QUEEN. In Disneyland, in California, today there is a full -siz operating river steamboat named MARK TWAIN, which has a fancy spreader-bar between its smokestacks copied from the one you see in this picture. A section of the wire railing with its fanciful rosettes is used on the little steamer LADY GRACE. One of the gilded acorns surmounting the hogchain posts today is in the River Museum, Marietta, Ohio.
We don't know the identity of the lady with the nice white shawl thrown over her shoulders, nor of her companions, but they are having a nice time sailing down the Ohio somewhere between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. They seem to be saying "Wish you were here." Too late: too late. But not too late for Grace and me to wish you and yours a Happy Voyage through 1961. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The Ways.
Photograph of the St. Louis Riverfront, circa 1900. The U. S. Snagboat Horatio G. Wright is in the background. Positioned in front of it is the steam tug, Ella St. Clair, which operated on the riverfront from 1898 - 1902. An excursion steamboat and another boat are to the right of the image. Women and children are walking the levee.
Receipt of Shipping for Mr. A. Langenberg, for delivery of good aboard the Str. BUCK ELK, signed by John Heckmann, clerk. Goods shipped include 5000 bricks, rope, and a skiff.
The Fred Swain was built at Stillwater, Minnesota in 1900. She was a sidewheeler with no texas. Her dimensions were:- 142 x 28.3 x 4.5 feet; tonnage, gross and net, 124 tons. She operated mostly on the Illinois River around Peoria. On August 20, 1909, she burned to the water's edge at Peoria, Illinois; fifty-eight persons were aboard but no lives lost.
The City of Clifton was built in 1900 at Jeffersonville, Indiana. Her dimensions were:- 190 x 30 x 5.0 feet; 285 tons. This boat was built by the Lee Line of Memphis, Tennessee and christened Rowena Lee. However, she was bought by the St. Louis and Tennessee River Packet Company before completion and renamed the City of Clifton. She then ran in the Tennessee River trade. While lying at the bank at Clifton, Tennessee, on the Tennessee River, she was totally destroyed by fire on February 20, 1903. The fire started near the forward main stairway from some unknown cause. She was valued at $30,000. Ascending the Mississippi River she struck a hidden obstruction on September 23, 1901, and sunk in 9 feet of water. She was raised and repaired; cost, $3,500. Damage to cargo, $4,000.
The J.L. McFeeters Journal 1904 collection consists of a single journal that Capt. J.L. McFeeters wrote in daily. Entries include details on the weather and river water levels but also include details of Capt. McFeeters personal and work life. Capt. McFeeters discussed the deaths of political figures and friends, ship fires on the Edgar Cheery and Mayflower, and his bank account records. Capt. McFeeters also references W.L. Sibert several times who was promoted from Caption to Major by President T. Roosevelt in 1904. Capt. McFeeters worked on a snag boat in 1904.
The M. W. Kelly was built at the Howard Yards, Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1900. Her dimensions were 150 x 32 x 4.0 feet. Her tonnage was 95, gross and net. She was built expressly for the Chattahooche River trade and was a fine looking steamboat. Her home port was Appalachicola, Florida. On December 19, 1900, Charles R. Baker, a colored deckhand fell overboard and was drowned. On January 6, 1902, while ascending the Chattahooche River she struck a snag in Frances Bend and sank. The damage was listed as $20,000 to the steamer and $500 to the cargo. Such a high damage figure would imply that she was a total loss but such was not the case. She sank twice more as near Eufala, Alabama in 1906 and finally at the Columbus, Georgia wharf in 1908. After the 1908 sinking she was dismantled. Her cabin was installed on the City of Eufala which burned at Neal's landing in 1914.
The Corwin H. Spencer was originally built as the Anchor Line steamer City of Monroe at Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1887. Badly damaged by the cyclone at St. Louis on May 27, 1896 she was rebuilt into the Hill City. She was 327 feet long, 44 feet beam, and 8.5 feet depth of hold. Purchased by Captain T. B. Sims at a U. S. Marshall sale in January 1898. In 1903 again sold, converted into an excursion boat and renamed the Corwin H. Spencer. She burned just above Jefferson Barracks, Missouri on October 12, 1906.
This map, plotted out by Norbury Wayman, shows the various locations of steamboat lines and related companies on the St. Louis levee, detailing three periods of time; before 1865; 1865 - 1900; and 1900 - 1953. Lines and companies are donated by name, location and years of operation. Nearby streets are mapped as well, for easy frame of reference. Scale in feet: 100 ft. = 1 inch.