P. KENNEDY’S EARLY DAYS ON THE RIVER AT MONTROSE
Complied and Transcribed by Sue Rekkas
|THE OLD BOATS, Additional Information from
Men Who Know, Valuable Contributions to River History,
Supplementary to Captain Merrick’s Narrative. The Saturday
Evening Post, Burlington, Iowa February 9, 1918
DAYS ON THE RIVER AT MONTROSE
By J. P. Kennedy
From a river standpoint Montrose was, in
an early day, one of the important points on the Great
Father of Waters. All the old river men knew of
Montrose, which up to 1876 was noted for its saloons,
gambling houses and general cussedness. Its floating
population demanded these things and there was no great
protest from the masses as moral questions were not as much
in the public eye then as they are at this time.
original business houses of the town consisted of a row of
small box buildings on the river bank, known as “Rat Row,”
so named for the innumerable number of rats that took
shelter in them and also to a lesser degree perhaps, from
the character and appearance of the inhabitants who were
mostly of the class known as the submerged tenth
(unreadable) in an old ordinance book of the town I find an
“Ordinance Relating to Rat’s Row.” This ordinance, by its
own, did not apply to the ordinary citizen of the town but
only to those living in “Rat Row.”
Old timers claim that
in an early day Justices of the Peace granted divorces here
and tried offenders for larceny and other felonies. In other
words it was sort of independent community. The same
individual often dispensed booze and justice and the first
Methodist sermon ever delivered here was from behind a
barrel of whiskey which was used as a pulpit.
building of the railroad in 1855, Montrose advanced a step
in the scale of civilization. The saloons were housed in
more pretentious buildings; the bars were longer and the
display of glassware more imposing; starched shirts and
collars were more noticeable and the light fingered gents
were reinforced by recruits from Chicago, St. Louis and
other large centers. These, changes were noted with
satisfaction by the old residents who would casually remark
that "Montrose seems to be looking up a little."
course all your readers who are familiar with the river know
what made this town so prominent or notorious in old days.
For the benefit of your other readers who may peruse this
article I make the following explanation:
the railroad was built a good portion of this freight, when
a low stage of water was reached was transferred by rail
between the two points. This transferring, or "ratting", as
it was called was all done by Montrose labor, no outsiders
being permitted to work at it and as the regular wage for
this work was fifty cents per hour, the town laborer did not
worry much but loaded around about eight months in the year
counting on making from $5.00 to $10.00 per day during the
low water season.
to Keokuk, twelve miles, was what was known as the Des
Moines Rapids a wide shallow part of the river with a rock
bottom. In an ordinary stage of water a boat drawing about
four feet of water could pass down by keeping in the channel
which was very narrow and crooked. When the water got so low
that this channel could not be navigated, the freight was
transferred the flat boats or lighters at Keokuk and
Montrose, and if going down, floated to Keokuk, or if coming
up, drawn by horses on the bank to Montrose. At a later
period light tow boats were used for this purpose.
The character of the river at this
point gave us a large number of men who were known as
"rapids pilots." No regular pilot on a steamer would take
his boat over the rapids, that work, being reserved for a
regular rapids pilot.
My next article will be devoted to
the rapids pilots and other historical characters of
Montrose in an early day.
The ten years following the war was
the most exciting and interesting period in the history of
Montrose. St. Louis was the great grain market of the
Mississippi valley and the products of the farm travelled to
that city by water.
|THE OLD BOATS, Additional
Information from Men Who Know, Valuable Contributions to
River History, Supplementary to Captain Merrick’s Narrative.
The Saturday Evening Post, Burlington, March 2, 1918, page
|OLD RIVER DAYS AT MONTROSE
By J. P. Kennedy
The Northern Line Packet Co. had a
steamer each way every day when the stage of water permitted
them to make the time and some years saw opposition lines
running from three to six boats in the trade. These boats
were side wheel steamers about the size of the Dubuque and
St. Paul of the present time. The deck crew of a packet
consisted of four deck hands and about forty roustabouts
commonly called roosters. This force was divided into two
watches and one watch was supposed to sleep while the other
worked. However was the work was all done when the boat was
at a landing, putting off or taking on freight or taking on
coal, it was customary to rout them all out and hustle to
get away from the landing as soon as possible.
crews were practically all Irish until about 1869 when the
ex-slaves from the South were called into service and by
1872 they had about monopolized this class of labor. The
deck hands were still Irish as some little responsibility
was attached to the position, but the roosters were all
darkies. The Negro character was such that he was peculiarly
fittest for this position. As a slave he had been compelled
to work long plodding days with no relaxation and he was
weary and tired of plodding work. When called out at a
landing to take off or put on freight he would run in with
one load and run out with another and in one hour would
accomplish as much as the plodding Irishman would in a half
day. The mate was always an Irishman and of course a
politician, and by shipping a quarter to one or two of his
best actors he could keep the whole gang on a run all the
time. When the boat landed at a coal yard then the darky was
in his glory and no one who has ever watched a gang of
southern ex-slaves coal a boat would ever need to attend a
minstrel show to get an insight into negro character. Of all
the stunts and wiggles and twists and swings and cake walks
that would be pulled off on that stage plank; no wonder the
boats were loaded to their capacity with passengers. It was
like travelling with minstrel troupe with no responsibility
but to see the fun.
To a person who knows only the modern
negro this may seem an overdrawn picture as it often looks
as though it would be a hard task to get much of a run on
our Sambo of today. The reader should remember that the
slaves were trained to work long hard days. They were strong
active and very susceptible to applause and when they saw a
hundred appreciative eyes watching them they immediately
ascended up to the seventh heaven and abode there as long as
that condition existed. No, the ex-slave and the present day
negro are entirely different animals.
Each packet carried
four or five barbers and a modern up to date barber shop.
These barbers comprised the boat's string band for it was
customary for the passengers to indulge in a dance every
night while taking the trip. While the boat was transferring
its freight and passengers at Montrose the band was usually
at liberty and this little vacation furnished some of the
happiest moments of my youth.
I was working in my
father's shoe shop on the levee, as it was called, but it
was awful hard to keep me on the bench at these particular
occasions. The musicians would come up from the boat and
locate in front of one of the saloons where chairs would be
placed for them and soon the banjos and guitars would be
pinging. A score of the de k darkies would gather in a
circle outside and the concert would begin. It has been my
pleasure to hear about all the minstrel troupes of our
country and I have appreciated their work I think as well as
the ordinary mortal not skilled in music but nothing I have
ever heard in this line has made the impression on me that
the old plantation songs did as sung by those ex-slaves.
Whenever I hear Nellie Gray, Swanee River, Old Folks at
Home, In the Evening by the Moonlight, Way Down in my Old
Cabin Home, and others sung on the stage my mind harked back
to the days of real music when I heard these songs rendered
with a pathos and beauty impossible now, for they were sung
by the ones who were the actors in many of these pathetic
ST. PAUL, Minn., March
12.--Editor Post: We are very interested in the articles
commenced by Mr. J. P. Kennedy, of Montrose. He ested (?) in
the articles commenced by of different text and we hope he
will keep at it, for certainly articles of that nature will
be of great interest and form a valuable addition to the
river history as published in the Post.
|THE OLD BOATS, Additional Information
from Men Who Know, Valuable Contributions to River History,
Supplementary to Captain Merrick’s Narrative. The Saturday
Evening Post, Burlington, Iowa, March 18, 1918, page 4.
|Applause for J. P. Kennedy.
In chapter 1
issue of February 9, 1918, this occurs "With the building of
the railroad in 1855" & etc. We question this date. Look it
up, please and in the interest of historical accuracy,
correct if necessary.
Chapter 2 is very interesting and
brings forth many things from the "cob webby" section of our
memory. We cannot quite stand for the statement that the
work of the "rooster" was "all done when the boat was at a
landing." The watch on deck was generally busy between
landings getting freight out and ready for the next landing
and in doing the numerous things which an active mate had no
trouble in finding for it to do. "All hands on deck", was a
very frequent call at coal and large freight piles.
the early days of Diamond Jo Line Steamers the deck hands
roosters and firemen were all white men, largely Irish. It
was not uncommon that a man would put in the entire season
on one boat, a number leaving for a short time during the
harvest season to go "tying straw." The first innovation
came in colored firemen and later mixed crews of white and
colored roosters and later, after the run was extended south
to St. Louis, to all colored roosters.
We have worked
them all and found both races full of sturdy workers.
Generally, however the colored roosters could wear out his
white co-laborer in handling barrels or other rolling
freight, and in carrying coal and boxes but when it came to
toting five bushel oat sacks "Mike" was in the game long
after "Sambo's" feet were sore.
Our better half commends
what Mr. Kennedy says of the music of the early day colored
rooster and the article brought to her mind the many times
in her early girlhood she had gotten up in the middle of the
night, accompanied by a girl companion, and steal from her
home on the beach at Reed's Landing to the adjacent levee
and from the porch of the old Knapp & Stout and Company
warehouse listened to those old time songs. Good old days,
eh? Keep it up, Mr. Kennedy.
|Fred A. Bill
|About Mr. J.P. Kennedy
|Iowa Official Register
1927-1928; Biographies of State Representatives, page 247.
General Assembly: 42 (01/10/1927 - 01/13/1929)
the only line of business in which he was engaged save that
of a teacher which he took up at age 20 and followed at
intervals of 14 years, during part of which he attended
school. During 6 years he was principle of the schools of
John P. Kennedy
Republican, District 1
|JOHN P KENNEDY Representative from Lee
County, was born in Keokuk, Iowa, and came with his parents
to Montrose, Iowa, when six weeks of age, and has resided
there ever since. Never held any political office except
president of the board of education. His father came from
County Mayo, Ireland, and his mother the city of Dublin.
Educated in the Montrose high school, and the law department
of the State University at Iowa City. Is married and has
three daughters. Member of Masonic, Odd Fellows, Knights of
Pythias and Woodman Fraternities. Republican in politics.
John P. Kennedy was brought to Montrose when but
6 weeks old. He attended the public schools here,
afterward becoming a student in Eastern Iowa Normal
School, graduated from the Law Department of the
Iowa State University with the class of 1892. He
never practiced law, always preferring to attend to
his extensive nursing business in which he has been
engaged in connection with his brother Charles since
1883. The company is still intact and is now one of
the large proportions. His business connections,
important and prominent have made Mr. Kennedy well
known and his integrity and enterprise and his
methods have gained him the high esteem of all who
have come into contact with him.
JOHN P KENNEDY was born
in Keokuk, Iowa, September 8, 1860 and died in a hospital in
Keokuk November 11, 1935. Burial was at Montrose, Iowa. His
parents were William and Mina Burns Kennedy. In October
1860, the family moved to Montrose where John P. grew up and
where he resided though out his life. He obtained his
education in the Montrose public schools, in Eastern Iowa
Normal at Grand View, Louisa County, and was graduated from
the Law School of the State University of Iowa in 1892.
During the years he was servicing his education he was
teaching much of the time. For 6 years he was principal of
the Montrose Schools. In 1883 he and his brother, Charles A.
Kennedy, established the Kennedy Nurseries which grew into a
large business enterprise. John P. Kennedy took a keen
interest in public matters. He acted as Chairman of the Lee
County Republican Central Committee for several years. He
was appointed postmaster at Montrose by President McKinley
in 1897 and served consecutively for 15 years. In 1926 he
was elected Representative and served in the Forty Second
General Assembly, both the regular and extra session. He was
a man of ability and of influence in his part of the state.
|The Annals of Iowa
Volume 20/ Number 4
(Spring 1936) pages 318 and 319.
John P. Kennedy, former postmaster of
Montrose, and Lee County representatives in the state
legislature, died at St. Joseph's hospital this morning at
10:10 o'clock after a period of illness. Both of Mr.
Kennedy's legs were amputated in an effort to save his life,
the last operation occurring just recently, but he failed to
|The Keokuk Daily
Gate City, Monday, November 11, 1935,
J.P. KENNEDY OF MONTROSE IS SUMMONED
Well Known Resident of Lee County, Prominent in
Dies Today at St. Joseph's Hospital.
One of the most prominent men in the county in
which he was a life-long resident. Mr. Kennedy was accorded
a high place in the esteem of all whom he came into contact
and maintained that position though out his life. Endowed
with splendid personal qualities and an inherent personal
qualities and an inherent honesty and integrity he was
respected and admired by the entire county.
Interested in Politics.
Especially interested in
politics, Mr. Kennedy has been a leader in local republican
circles for years and has held many important offices,
including the chairmanship of county committees as well as
state representative and postmaster.
In 1897 he was
appointed postmaster of Montrose by President McKinley and
continued in that office for 15 years through ensuing
administrations, making a very creditable record through
prompt and faithful service. He served as chairman of the
republican county committee for several years and the
opinions were always sought by party leaders.
Graduated in Law.
Although he was graduated from the
University of Iowa law school in the class of 1892 he never
practiced his profession, preferring to attend to the
extensive nursery business which he and his brother,
Charles, established in 1883. He also was a school teacher
for some time, taking it up at the age of 20 years and
continuing at intervals for 14 years, although he attended
college during a period of that time. For six years he
served as principal of the Montrose school.
The son of
William and Mina Williams Burns Kennedy he was born on
September 8, 1860 in Keokuk. When he was 6 weeks of age, his
parents moved to Montrose where he has since resided. He
attended the public schools in Montrose and the Eastern Iowa
Leaves Three Daughters.
On June 14,
1894, he was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Ballou.
Three children were born to this union, all of them
He was a member of St. Barnabas' Episcopal
Church in Montrose and was fraternally affiliated with Jeppa
Lodge A. F. & A. M. and Casceade Lodge No.66 I. C. O. F..
Survivors besides his wife, are three daughters, Miss
Catherine Kennedy, a teacher in the Los Angeles schools;
Mrs. Margaret King of Los Angeles, and Mrs. George Benner of
Montrose. There are also three grandchildren and the
following brothers and sisters: C. A. Kennedy, George
Kennedy, Timothy Kennedy, Mrs. Frank Kerr and Miss Lillie
Kennedy all of Montrose, and Mrs. Jennie Rtzer of Los
Angeles, and William Kennedy of Washington.
The body was
taken to the Cunningham Funeral Home. The funeral
arrangements have not been completed.
||~ KENNEDY ~
Montrose, Lee Co., Iowa