Steamboats, a part of our past history

 Told by Geneva Cooksey Dycus in 1977.

Between 1914 and 1916 we had two small boats at Dycusburg river landing. Mr. Charlie Cassidy operated the "Rambler. " He made runs to Dover, Tenn. 

 

The "Clyde" was a daily boat from Dycusburg to Paducah, operated by Mr. Lucien Vosier and Dalton Vosier. They could carry small freight and passengers. 

 

The large steamboats picked up the farmers' hogs, cattle and hogsheads of tobacco.

 

Our daily boat would depart at 6 a.m. and return at 6 p.m., if all went well. At some time later the Rambler sank below Dycusburg. Mr. Cassidy passed away and the boat was sold.

 

Then Mr. F. O. Devers and Mr. Guy Lambert moved here and put into operation a larger oil packet, the "Dispatch".  It was a very fast boat, and could carry more freight and passengers than the earlier boats. After the war improved roads and railroads were crippling the boat traffic; however, a larger boat was still needed here.

 

Late in 1918, Mr. Lambert returned to Shawneetown, Illinois and put in a ferry there, but Mr. Devers remained here. He sold the Dispatch and in 1919 he brought in our first daily steamboat, the Steamer" C. C. Bouyer."

Now the farmers as far away as Shady Grove and other communities brought their cattle to be shipped by boat and their tobacco here to our tobacco factory for sale. And then it was shipped in hogsheads to the market. It was a very nice boat, but an old boat.

 

In 1922 Mr. Devers bought a boat hull and had it brought here and my father, Robert "Bob" Cooksey and Mr. Bud Vosier built the cabin, an engineer installed the steam engine and did the electrical work. The C. C. Bouyer took care of the people's needs while the new boat was being built.

 

One morning the C. C. Bouyer sank just below town here just after it had left here at 6 a.m. One person I knew very well, Mr. Henry Tignor from Frances, was a passenger on the boat that morning. No one was hurt and everyone escaped safely.

Another small steamboat was brought in to take care of the run until the new boat was finished, that was the Cora May.

 

Soon the new boat was finished and christened the Streamer Grace Devers in honor of his wife, Grace. It was a lovely boat; it had a new player piano on it and a graphophone with all of the Roaring 20 records.

 

We felt like we had a floating palace to ride on and when my mother would announce that we would go to Paducah tomorrow, we were up before dawn to eat a big breakfast and dress our selves up for the trip. We walked to town to board the boat. In the wintertime it was dark at 6 a.m. and we walked by the light of a lantern.

 

If they didn't have too much stock to load and other freight, we would arrive at the big wharf boat dock in Paducah by ten o'clock. By 12:45 p.m. we could hear the whistle blowing to let us know to be there, ready to leave Paducah, at 1 p.m.

 

Sometimes during the summer, the Grace Devers would run excursions from Smithland up to Dover, Tenn. on Sundays. 

 

In 1925 brought many changes: Mr. Devers sold the Grave Devers and his home and return to Evansville.

 

Mr. Fred Joyce and family moved to Dycusburg and brought in a boat, the "Bedford" with a diesel engine owned and operated by Mr. Joyce and his father. He soon realized he needed a large boat, so he bought a steamboat. He changed the name to the Queen of Dycusburg. It operated from 1928 to 1934.

 

During that time, Mr. Joyce was having a boat built here on the bank of the river across the field from my home. Mr. Bud Vosier was the carpenter with other helpers.

 

They launched the boat here, and he named it the "Wolverine" as that was the name of the diesel engine he installed on the boat. It was a very pretty and a fast boat.

 

The truck lines and highways were slowly ruining the riverboat traffic. Mr. Joyce operated the boat a year and sold it to the Smiley Sand and Gravel Co.

 

In late 1935 Mr. J. H. Ferguson and Mr. Bills brought in a boat, the "Cordelia." Freight continued to dwindle and by 1936 they sold the Cordelia, and that year ended our daily boat trade between Dycusburg and Paducah.

 

Many people along the river were left stranded until the farmers roads were improved, and they could own trucks and take their produce to market themselves.

 

We had from two to three showboats here each year. The early 1940's saw our last show boat it was the "Golden Rod."