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Waybills
1881 Waybill from the LADY LEE
The sternwheel packet with wooden hull was built at Pittsburg, PA in 1871
Three boilers. Ran in the Carter Line, St. Louis- Red River.
Lengthened to 227 feet in 1881.
Operated in the Star Line, St. Louis-Missouri River trade.
Snagged and san about 2-1/2 miles above Sibley, MO in a big windstorm on March 29, 1882.
Waybill Robert MITCHELL Rubber stamped 12 February 1878
Sidewheel Packet
Waybill Robert MITCHELL
Rubber stamped 12 February 1878
Evansville, Indiana Mail Line Wharf Boat
Way's Packet Directory Number 4792
Built Cincinnati,Ohio, 1871 270 x 41 (37 foot floor) x 8
Engines, 24 V2's-8 foot from the ALICE V.
Four boilers, each 40" by 28 feet, two flues
First owned by Captain Henry A. Jones and Thomas Sherlock.
Ran Cincinnati New Orleans, Capt. Richard M Wade
Sold 1874 to Evansville & New Orleans Packet Co., then ran Louisville-New Orleans, Capt Gus Fowler, withGus DuSouchet, clerk.
Then sold to Capt James Paul, entire, who commanded in Cincinnati New Orleans
trade, also Capt. Lew Kates with Frank Stem, clerk.
In latter April 1876 she brought to Cincinnati from New Orleans 315 live alligators
ranging from six inches to 14 feet long.
Captains Dan Moore and Frank Stein bought control in August 1877 and continued her in the trade. Capt. John A. Williamson and M.V. Daly her.
Hit an obstruction and sank at Fox Island, Mississippi River, November 3, 1880
The OUACHITA BELLE came along soon afterwards and sank within 100 yards of the MITCHELL. It was thought that both boats had struck a wheel shaft from the PENNSYLVANIA which had exploded boilers there June 13, 1858.
At time of loss she was entered in the Southern Transportation Co. Raised, returned to Cincinnati, and dismantled.
The Topeka, Kansas Daily Commonwealth, Saturday, May 15, 1880, page 4
Pilot House of the Robert Mitchell Burned
At 11 o'clock this forenoon as a reporter for the COMMONWEALTH was crossing the Suspension Bridge, he saw flames just bursting through the widows of the pilot house on the Robert Mitchell, which was laying on the wharf loading for New Orleans, to depart this evening. Two small streams of water were soon turned on from some steamboat hose, apparently but with little effect. In a few minutes several of the city steam fire engines arrived and two or three large streams from these subdued the flames, and the boat was saved with the loss of the pilot house only - not even the texas was damaged and no water leaked into it or the cabin. No one walking thru the latter would discover that anything unusual had occurred. It is said that the boat will proceed on her trip tonight as advertised.
Waybill Rhodus & Lindsay Commision Merchants
Waybill (blank), no name of steamboat included)
Rhodus & Lindsay Commision Merchants
No. 18 South Commercial Street, St. Louis 1880s
Waybill REVONAH circa 1910 - 1921
REVONAH
Sternwheel Gas boat
Referred to as a "Steamer" on this Waybill that was dated sometime between 1910 & 1919
Built in 1910 at Madison, Indiana.
Replaced when a new boat that was also named REVONAH which was brought out in 1921.
Owned by Turner Brothers; Captain J. Orville Noll and the Williams Brothers.
Ran on the Muskingum & Monongahela rivers.
ORIOLE Sidewheeler Waybill dated 11th November 1869
Sidewheeler
Waybill dated 11th November 1869
Way's Packet Directory Number 4326:
In 1869 Her hull was built at Murraysville, West Virginia then she was completed at Middleport, Ohio. Parts of the ENERGY were used in building her.
She came out in Gallipolis-Racine trade, Capt. A.J. Branch with Nat Earhart, clerk. In 1871 ran Pomeroy-Ironton, Captain Silas P. Coe (who later built and named a towboat after himself), with Edwin F. Maddy, clerk, his first river job.
Captain T. Spence Sandford was master later, his first command.
Also ran Portsmouth - Gallipolis. There was an ORIOLE in the New Orleans - Lower Coast trade January 1876, Capt. James T. O'Pry, possibly another steamboat, possibly this one.
Waybill from the steamboat OHIO 1882
Sternwheel packet boat
Waybill dated August 1882
Built at Cincinnati, Ohio in 1879 251x39x5 5
Originally named CLIFTON.
Owned by Cincinnati, Portsmouth, Big Sandy & Pomeroy Packet Co., who ran her 1882, Cincinnati-Pomeroy with Capt. John Livesay, master, and clerks T. Kendall Morgan and C. H. Holloway.
She replaced the OHIO No. 4.
Later ran Cincinnati - Memphis, Captain John Newton, with Harry O. Proctor, clerk.
Sank on the "old mill foundation" while ascending the Louisville Falls, Captain Don Marr, Master in1890. Settled below the K&I bridge along the Kentucky shore, Pink Varble at the wheel. Was loaded deeply at the time and was raised.
Sank February 17,1894, at Cottonwood Point, Missouri.
Sam G. Smith, later an editor of The Waterways Journal, was clerk on her at the time.
Diamond Jo Steamers Notice to receive freight 27 June 1885, St.Louis
MARY MORTON
Sternwheel Packet
(Diamond Jo Line Steamers Notice to receive freight 27 June 1885, from the MARY MORTON St. Louis).
Built in 1880 at Dubuque, Iowa
Owned by the Diamond Jo Line in 1895 : Captain John McCaffrey & Captain Robert L. Taylor
Owned by the Anchor Line in 1897 Captain T.B. Sims
Officers & Crew:
John Killeen (master, 1880, 1882)
Captain William Boland (master, 1882-1885?)
Thomas Burns (pilot); Henry Link (pilot); Fred Buthman (engineer, 1882); Chas Byrnes (engineer, 1882); Frank Cook (pilot); Levi Williams (pilot, 1882); Thos. W. Burns (pilot, 1882 James Boland (master, 1892); Oby Callahan (pilot, 1892)
Charles Ziegler (pilot, circa 1895); Harry Crane (pilot, circa 1895); Captain George Kieth (master, circa 1895); Captain Milt Harry (1896)
Named for the wife of Diamond Jo Reynolds. She was built under the supervision of Captain John F. Killeen. Ran in the upper Mississippi River trades. She ran St. Louis-Memphis in November 1896 and in the summer of 1897 she ran the same trade but under charter to Anchor Line.
On September 10, 1892 she sank at Clarksville Island while she was in Diamond Jo service
Lost at Crain's Island near Grand Tower, Illinois in October 1897
Towboat John J. Rowe Ledger
One Bale of Cotton Received per R.E. Lee 20th October 1874
Cotton bale receipt
Top of document:
Received per R.E. Lee 20th October 1874
One Bale of Cotton by BAKER, LAWLER & CO.
on account of Hearst & Dennis / Sold J.A. McCann & Co.
Bottom of document:
Mobile, Alabama 6th November 1874
Received Four Bales Cotton from the Steamer "Lee"
Receipt filled in on the 17th of November 1873 at Mobile, Alabama from W.B. Shields (Dallas County) & J.A. Mooring (Sumter County) Cotton Factor & General Commission Merchants, To Hearst & Domms of Elm Bluff, Alabama.
Received Four Bales of Cotton from the Steamer "Lee."
THE STEAMBOAT "LEE" IS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN THE "ROBERT E. LEE" BUT THAT IS NOT CONFIRMED.
Hermann Ferry & Packet Co 1897 Steamers Gasconade, Peerless and Mill BoyHermann Ferry & Packet Co. IncorporatedCovering the dates September 6th to 12th 1897Steamers Gasconade, Peerless and Mill Boy
Pilot's Certificate issued to Claudius Robinson 8TH March 1859
ORIGINAL VINTAGE PILOT'S CERTIFICATE
Pilot's Certificate issued by the Inspectors of the District of Pittsburgh (who) certify that . . . Claudius Robinson . . . is a suitable and safe person to be intrusted with the powers and duties of a Piot of Steam Boats . . . (we) license him to act as such for one year from this date on the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to Louisville. Given under our hands this 8th day of March 1859
1888 original letterhead & envelope CONSOLIDATED BOAT STORE CO. Steamboat Supplies, Cincinnati, OHIO
1888 original letterhead and envelope that the correspondence says contained a Dividend for Captain J.H. Parker who was probably related to James D. Parker who was President of THE CONSOLIDATED BOAT STORE CO. "Groceries & Steamboat Supplies of Every Description." Located at No's 11 & 12 of the Cincinnati, Ohio Public Landing.
The address on the envelop indicated that Captain J.H. Parker was residing or visiting Newton, Massachusetts (a suburb of Boston).
Pass Cincinnati Portsmouth Big Sandy Packet Co. 1897
Pass issued in 1897 for the Cincinnati Portsmouth Big Sandy Packet Company that navigated the Big Sandy and Ohio river and served the towns of Maysville (in Kentucky) and Portsmouth & Pomeroy (in Ohio).
The Big Sandy River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 29 miles long in western West Virginia and northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river forms part of the boundary between the two states along its entire course. Via the Ohio River, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed.
It is formed between Louisa, Kentucky, and Fort Gay, West Virginia, by the confluence of the Tug Fork and Levisa Fork. It flows generally northwardly in a highly meandering course, between Lawrence and Boyd counties in Kentucky and Wayne County in West Virginia. It joins the Ohio between Catlettsburg, Kentucky and Kenova, West Virginia, 8 miles west of Huntington, West Virginia, at the common boundary between West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.
The river is navigable and carries commercial shipping, primarily coal mined in the immediate region.
The name of the river comes from the presence of extensive sand bars. The Native American names for the river included Tatteroa, Chatteroi, and Chatterwha which had similar meaning to the English name. It was known to the Lenape as Sikeacepe meaning "Salt River", from the presence of salt licks on the river. The name "Big Sandy" was in use no later than February, 1789. The tombstone of David White, an early settler along the river in Kentucky, marks his passing in 1817 with the note that he lived many years near the Mouth of the Big Sandy.
Two well-known fiddle tunes take their name from the Big Sandy River: "Sandy River Belle" and the "Big Sandy River". Loretta Lynn's "Van Lear Rose" and Dwight Yoakam's "Bury Me" also mention the river.
The river also played a major role in the Hatfield-McCoy feud.
Some Indian Tribes have links to the area and region, like the Tutelo, Issa, Cherokee and others.
Steamboat Vignetted from the Cincinnati Portsmouth Big Sandy Packet Co. 1897
1895 PASS PITTSBURGH & CINCINNATI PACKET CO.
Steamboat Departures Cincinnati Commercial Thursday 24th June 1880
Cincinnati Commercial
Newspaper column:Steamboat Departures
KATIE STOCKDALENEW ANDES
SALT VALLEY
BUCKEYE STATE
BOSTONA
OHIO No. 4
GENERAL LYTLE
GEN. PIKE
L.A. SHERLEY
JAS. W. GAFF
J.D. PARKER
VIRGIE LEE
VINT SHINKLE
CONS MILLAR
An 1898 Pass issued by the White Star Line Steamboat Company - Coosa River
documents / letterheads
Louisville & Cincinnati Letterhead transcript of 1926 letter
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All captions provided by Dave Thomson, Steamboats.com primary contributor and historian.