Steamers or Paddle-Wheeler River Boats of Yesteyear

Much of our early county history was focused on the little communities that were located along the Ohio River, as this was where the most travel, trading and commerce ports were located.

The beautiful Ohio river was heavily traveled night and day by the many flatboats, steamers, paddlewheelers and even a river taxi or two that water taxied people to the nearby towns in Union County, Southern Illinois as well as Tolu, Clementsburg and Fords Ferry.  

A river taxi that used to run on the Ohio River.  It carried folks to different locations along the Kentucky and Illinois sides of the river.

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Here are some interesting community items that were taken from the files of The Crittenden Press telling about this river traffic.

May 12, 1880

The steamer Gaff secured at Clementsburg, while here she picked up 375 barrels of potatoes and 8000 feet of lumber to take up North.

 

The Memphis and Ohio River Packet company will carry passengers from now until after the Democratic convention to Cincinnati and return for $10.

May 1881 

Lamb & Cook steamers shipped for G. R. Jenkins & Co. last week, 4 thousand feet of walnut lumber to Evansville.

George A. Lamb is in Cincinnati and W. E. Lambeth is in St. Louis.

The Shady Grove boys are frequently seen hauling tobacco from that place to Weston for shipment on the river. 

Mar 2, 1881

The John V. Throop steamer secured several sacks of freight from Lamb & Co., yesterday, after which she dropped down to Lou Cooks corn pen for number of sacks of corn.

    The beautiful Steamer Idlewide that use to travel up and down the Ohio River.

The good Steamer Idlewide has been sold by the Evansville packet Com., to John D. Adams and others for $20,000 cash. She will run no more on our river.

The John K. Speed landed last night to put off some Thoroughbred stock for A. D. McFee. Messrs Sliger Underdown and L. E. Cook shipped stock to Cincinnati last week on the Buckeye State.

 The Gertie Pool was loading its barge with ties at this place on Saturday.

A party composed of Misses Nellie and Mary Wilson, Mattie and Fannie Blue, Cora Pierce, and Mr. J. W. Blue and Mr. G. . Crider will start to New Orleans in a few days. They will take a steamer and will be gone three weeks.

Our young physician W. H . Nunn returned from Nashville, yesterday where he had been studying. He will be one our leading physicians soon.