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Le
Claire Iowa
River
Men
Watching for the Ferry
By
John Bloom
Compiled by Georgeann McClure
This
is not a complete list
(If
you have any information on river men please add it. )
Tromley Charlie
Capt. W.
Blair
RECALLS MANY
OF THE BOATS
One year I was on the Chancy Lamb Capt. John McCaffrey
was on the Last Chanch. We over
took him at the head of Maquoketa slough and had to slack up until we got to
the foot of the slough where there was room to pass.
Soon after Capt. John sent Charlie Tromley over to see if I
was going to run the span at
Dubuque
bridge. I told him that was my
intention. He then wanted to
know if after my raft was entered in the bridge I would not come back and
put his raft through, meantime he would cut lose, catch my raft and take
care of it until his raft was through. This
was rather an unusual request but I told Charlie I would be glad to do so if
it would be any accommodation. Well
the program was carried out and both rafts were put through without trouble.
It developed later that Capt. John, if he split and run in the usual
way could not have gotten both pieces through before dark and would thus
have lost a night’s run. For
some reason few pilots cared to tackle this span but it had no terrors for
me. Aside from the one break up
I had with the Chancy I never had any trouble at this bridge.
“When Rafters
Ruled’
Chapter 28
Jerome E. Short speaking
About Charlie Trombley
“By the way, Charlie told me this one on himself.
Before he had become familiar with the river and secured his license
he used to spell his father at times and the old gentleman would trust him
alone in such sections as he thought best.
One evening he was steering up through crooked slough and made the
first bend all right but when facing west he followed the left hand shore
and got into the slough and she began to labor.
The father rushed in and said: “Charles, where yo go wiz dis
boat?” “I am right in the
channel, father.” said
Charlie. “But, Charlie, seem
to me I never see de pon il’ grow in de Chan’l”
*
Capt Tromley was Canadian
Trombley
(Tromley)
Capt
George Tromley
TWO OLD
PILOTS HAVE ANCHORS
Veterans Winans and Tromley sail for unknown
Captain M. S. Winans, of
Albany
and Captian George Tromley, Sr., of
Le Claire Dead
Daily Times
Oct 18, 1904
Pg. 4
Captain George Tromley
Identified with the
Mississippi
almost as long as Captain Winans, was Captain George Tromley, who passed
away at his home in Le Claire Sunday. Born
in
Montreal
,
Canada
, Dec. 15, 1828, he came to the
United States
when a small boy, settling in
St. Louis
. The great river, then the home
of heroes of all western boyish hearts attracted his attention and he began
his career when but a small lad. From
that time until last year, when he gave up his berth as captain of the Lydia
Van Sant, he followed the winding of the great natural thoroughfare from St.
Paul to New Orleans, from Cairo to Pittsburg and St. Louis to the headwaters
of the Missouri, reading the faces of the stream and guiding the wealth of
farmers, merchants and mechanics and the lives of thousands of emigrants to
their ports.
The
greater part of his life was spent as a pilot, working on the river in
summer and living quietly at his home in Le Claire in winter.
He leaves a wife, a daughter, Mrs. Elmer McCraney and two sons, who
have followed the career of their father, Captain George Tromley, of the
steamer Juanita.
Rev. R. Pugh, of the Presbyterian church of Le Claire will conduct
the funeral services at the home and the remains will be interred in the Le
Claire cemetery.
--Sue Rekkas
DEATH
SUMMONS POPULAR PILOT, CAPT. TROMLEY
Was
one of Best Known
Steamboat Men on the
Upper Mississippi
The
Davenport
Democrat & Leader
April 3, 1919
Capt George Tromley, 63 years of age and well known among the older
river men of this vicinity, passed away Wednesday evening shortly after 9
o’clock at his home,
615 East thirteenth Street
,
Davenport
. He had been a sufferer from
stomach trouble for the past four months and that ailment was the direct
cause of his demise. He recently
underwent a severe operation.
Captain Tromley had served as captain and pilot on the Mississippi
river for many years, practically his entire life having been spent on the
Father of Waters, until six years ago when ha and his family moved to
Davenport
. Since then he had been
employed by the Builders Sand & Gravel Co. of this city.
For 20 years Captain Tromley had charge of the
St. Croix
in the employ of the Mueller Lumber Company and later was connected with the
I. W. Van Sant and the Lydia Van Sant.
Born in
St. Louis
, Dec. 7, 1856, he came to Le Claire with his parents when a small child.
He was united in marriage with Miss Alice Laycock, Dec. 7, 1881.
His widow and one daughter, Miss Ruth Tromley, are the only
survivors. Another daughter
passed away in 1895 when she was 12 years.
The deceased was a member of Trinity Lodge, A. F. & A. M.
Funeral services are announced to be held from the late home at 1:30
o’clock Friday afternoon with burial in the Le Claire cemetery.
Rev. Frank Cole of
St. John’s
M. E. church will officiate.
Sue
Rekkas
Tromley Funeral
Daily Times
April 5, 1919
The
funeral of Capt. George Tromley, late river pilot was held at 1:30 o’clock
yesterday afternoon from the home,
815 thirteenth St.
Davenport
, with Rev. Frank Cole officiating. Grace
Huber rendered “Jesus Saviour
Pilot me” and “Sometimes We’ll Understand.”
The pallbearers from the home were A. E. Naumann, Frank Smith, S. C.
Simpson and Robert Rathmann.
The body
was taken to Le Claire for internment the pallbearers at Le Claire were
Capt. Orrin Smith, Newton Nesbit,
N. M. Smith, and S. C. Simpson.
Capt
R. H. Tromley, a brother and Mrs. William McCraney, sister of
Davenport
, were omitted from Thursdays list of survivors.
Sue Rekkas
Robert Trombley
CAPT
R. TROMBLY DROWNS SELF IN RIVER AT
DUBUQUE
OUTSKIRTS OF
Dubuque
, where the Illinois Central railroad enters the city.
Trainman saw him walk into the river and immediately went
to his rescue. He was
pulled from
the water within a half hour despite the floating ice which hindered the
rescuing party. A pulmotor was
used and the men worked for sometime trying in vain to restore him.
He was 63
years of age. Capt. Tromley was
in charge of one of the last log rafts on the upper
Mississippi river
bringing it to the Old Standard Lumber Co. of Dubuque.
He had been a captain on many riverboats including the steamer J. S.
Son of Pioneer
Pilot.
Captain
Robert H. Trombly was nicknamed “Charlie” when in boyhood in
Le Claire
,
Ia.
He was born in Le Claire
in 1860 and resided there until about 12 years ago when he went to
Dubuque
and went into the hotel business. He
was on the river part of the time after he went to
Dubuque
. He was a son of Captain George
Trombley of Le Claire. His
father was the first man to take a raft down the
Mississippi river
with a steamboat.
Captain
Trombley started work on the river when a boy and was ----------(unreadable)
Former resident of Le Claire and slip a former governor
of
Minnesota
for the Streckfus Line and also on the Blair Steamboat Line.
Survivors
are his wife Estella, who is proprietor of a hotel in
South Dakota
, a daughter, Helen Von Hine of
Seattle
,
Wash.
, and three sons, Arthur, Robert and Charles.
Sue Rekkas
Capt.
Trombly who took
own life in
Dubuque
was
well known in
Davenport
Davenport
Democrat and Leader
May 25, 1923
Pg. 15
Dubuque
Ia.
March 24 –Capt. Robt. H.
Trombly, 63 years old manager of the Majestic Annex Hotel, and one of the
earliest Mississippi river pilots and captain walked to his death in the
Mississippi river late Friday afternoon his body recovered by railroad
workers after it had become jammed in an ice gorge.
Captain Trombley was at a local hospital receiving treatment for
nervous prostration and managed to get away from the hospital unobserved.
He was in charge of one of the last log rafts brought down the river
to the Old Standard Lumber Co. of this city
Capt. Trombley was well known in
Davenport
. For several seasons he piloted
the steamer Frontenac and big barge
Mississippi
during the period they were owned by Capt. Harry E. Winter.
His sister Mrs. McCraney recently committed suicide in
Florida
. A brother Capt. George Trombly
died several years ago.
Capt.
Trombly was one of the veteran Diamond Jo Line pilots and was one of the
earlier raft pilots on the
Mississippi
. For a time he was pilot on the
old W. W. He was a great man,
well met and popular with all. Much
regret will be felt by his big following of friends on learning of his
tragic death. He lived most of
his life on the
Mississippi
and Died in its waters.
Sue Rekkas
RIVER PILOT WHO DIED AT
DUBUQUE
IS LAID TO REST
Daily Times
Le Claire
Ia.
March 27
Funeral services of Capt. Robert H. Trombley, who was
one of the last men to take a raft down the Mississippi river and who walked
into the river at Dubuque while in a deranged state of mind and drowned
himself, were held in his boyhood home at Le Claire yesterday afternoon.
The services were held at the Horrigan and Mc Ginnis funeral chapel.
Mrs. Trombly, and three sons, Robert, Arthur and Paul, accompanied
the body to Le Claire from
Dubuque
. Many friends from
Davenport
,
Rock Island
and
Dubuque
attended the funeral.
Rev. W E.
Green, pastor of the Methodist
church
of
Le Claire
, conducted the services, Internment was in the family lot in the Le Claire
cemetery.
The
pallbearers were F. H. Kitchen, Harry Lancaster, E. W. Von Hein, George Hann,
A. H. Dawley and Orrin Smith.
Sue
Rekkas
Henry Twiezel D
1924
Sketch of Capt. S. R. Van Sant
From cabin boy to Governor
A long, honorable and successful career as a boat owner and
operator on the
Upper Mississippi
Saturday Evening Post
Burlington
Iowa
Sept. 2, 1916
(Capt. Van Sant
speaking)
Another time I saw him perspire was at
Davenport
. We had been dropping out
trying to store up work enough to keep us busy during the slack season.
We had several rafts laid up and had brought one down.
Men were as scarce as hen’s teeth and we hadn’t had more than
five at one time for several weeks. Henry
Tweizel was mating and he and I were the only ones who knew how to pull
a skiff, and that crew were about the limit for greenness all around.
Working all day lining up, putting on butting blocks and check-works
and then picking up a wood flat to unloaded while running back at night had
put us all to the back, there was one stretch of sixty hours that we had no
sleep at all and Tweisel and I made up our minds to get off and rest up
awhile after we had delivered at Muscatine.
Davenport
Democrat
Dec. 3, 1924
Henry Twiezel passed away last evening at 9:15 o’clock at his home
in Le Claire. Death terminated
a lingering disease.
The decedent was born May 11 1854 in Germany and came to Le Claire in
1868, where he has resided since. He
was 70 years of age at the time of death.
His wife Abbie, preceded him n death on Nov. 14, 1922. Twiezel was
occupied for many years as a ship carpenter.
He is survived by three daughters, Mrs. William Shannon, Mrs. J.
Rainstadler, both of Le Claire and Mrs. Ben Hannard of Eldon Iowa; one son,
Henry Jr., of Le Claire two brothers, two sisters and 11 grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock from
the home in Le Claire. Interment will take place in Glendale cemetery at Le
Claire.
Twiezel
Joseph
The
Daily Times
April 30, 1940
Le
Claire Man Hit by Auto Friday Dies
Joseph
Twiezel 74, Le Claire died at 6;30 a.
m. Tuesday at Mercy Hospital of injuries received at 8 p.
m. Friday night when he was struck by a car driven by Minian Oliver, 47,
Princeton post mistress of Le Claire
Twiezel a former riverman, suffered a fractured leg and severe back
injuries” Witnesses said he
had walked across the highway 61 directly into the path of the car.
His sister Mrs. Carolina Voss, with whom he had made his home for the
past 10 years, died Friday April 18.
He was born in Le Claire in 1864 and for many years worked on various
river boats. Surviving is a
sister Mrs. Minnie Kaufman, Morton, Pa., a niece Mrs. Minnie Barth Portland,
Ore., and tow nephews. The body
is at the Halligan funeral home pending arrangements.
The
Daily Times May 1, 1940
Open Verdict is Returned by Jury In Twiezel Death
After hearing the testimony of nine witnesses at the inquest into the
death of Joseph Twiezel, 74, of Le Claire, a coroner’s jury Tuesday night
returned a verdict that the victim died of pneumonia induced by injuries
incurred when he was hit by an automobile driven by Minnie Oliver, Princeton
postmistress, in the town of Le Claire about 8:30 p. m. Tuesday at Mercy
Hospital in Davenport.
Drs, Joseph Wolf of Davenport and c. Rosendorff of Le Claire
testified that Twiezel suffered a compound fracture of the lower left leg
and pneumonia developed Sunday morning.
Mrs. Oliver told the jury that she was driving the automobile in
which her husband was a passenger. She
estimated her speed at between 15 and 17 miles an hur while traveling
through Le Claire she said she was blinded momentarily by the lights on an
approaching car and she did not see the aged man until an instant before the
right front portion of the bumper struck him.
David Oliver, husband of the woman, also testified that he did not
see Twiezel in the road. He
said the victim was thrown over the right front finder.
F. D. Buchiet of Le Claire, the driver of the car which was
approaching the Oliver coupe, with Richard Vance and Ewald Von Heit, also of
Le Claire, testified that he stopped his car and with the aid of his
companions took the injured man to the office of Dr. Rosendorff and later
transferred him to Mercy Hospital.
Deputy Sheriff Tom Carroll, who interviewed Twiezel in the hospital
two hours after the accident, said the victim informed him that he did not
see the car approaching. Martin
Von Hein of Le Claire told the jury that he had walked with Twiezel to the
point where the victim crossed the highway.
Von Hein said he had not taken more than 20 steps after Twiezel left
him until he heard the impact. He said he turned and saw his friend lying by
the side of the pavement.
Van
Sant Family
Boat
Builders
Van Sant Stone in Le Claire Cemetery
Van Sant Home Le Claire Iowa
Van Sant
Captain
Van Sant
Sketch of Capt. S. R. Van Sant
From cabin boy to Governor
A long, honorable and successful career as a boat owner and
operator on the
Upper Mississippi
Saturday Evening Post
Burlington
Iowa
Sept. 2, 1916
“Of
course all river men know that captain Van Sant is not a native Le Claire
but he has always been so intimately connected with the steamboat and river
life of Le Claire that in my mind I always think of him as being to the
manor born.
Neither
was his wife Ruth Hall a native of le Claire, although remembering her
joyous participation in the social gayety of the old town during her
girlhood and the deep personal interest she ahs shown for it during her
mature years we feel that le Claire has a greater right to claim them both
than has any other place.
There
probably never was a couple in real life who achieved the fame and the
material success the have that were more free form a snobbish sense of their
importance. Plain, unaffected, sociable, business like they have remained
thru go as well as evil fortune. Preoccupied, at times as Captain Sam was
some may have thought him unsociable but when you consider the load he was
carrying you certainly must admit him excusable.
I was not
on the inside, of course but from current river gossip, there was a time
when probably more than $50,000 would have been needed to put the firm on
its feet. It used to be told the
Captain that he was in the habit of carrying around a five hundred dollar
bill to pull on the groceryman, woodhawks, coal men, butchers and other
small dealers and when they would say they couldn’t change it he would
just say “Well you will just have to wait till next trip them.”
Butcher
Rathmann used to tell this on him with great gusto.
He said the Captain come running into the shop one day after he had
finished icing the meat for the Silver Wave and asked if he could make out
the bill for the days supplies right away as he was in a hurry but to just
let the old account stand for awhile longer.
As Rathmann handed him the invoice he threw down the five hundred
dollar bill and asked him to take the change out of that.
As Rathmann frequently needed change he generally kept a pretty good
nest-egg on hand and was especially prepared so he just reached down under
the counter and brought up a wallet and then he went back and came up with a
shot-sack but about that time Captain Sam picked up the bill remarking “Oh
just wait a minute. I believe I can make the change.”
And he pulled out a roll and paid it and then Rathmann walked out
from behind the counter and placing his hand on the Captains shoulder and
said “Now Sammie you hadn’t ought to do me that way, you can get any
thing you want but you musn’t treat me like that.
Great bighearted butcher Rathmann, he carried many a man beside
Captain Sam thru a tight place.
Now at the
same time that captain Van Sant was turning every trick and making every
edge cut, every man on deck got his envelope.”
Letter head for the Van Sant Navigation
Co. Elmer McCraney Vice president
Van
Sant Elias
Davenport
Democrat June 14, 1898
Obituary
Van Sant
Elias A. Van Sant, a brother of Capt. Van Sant, died at Peoria
Saturday night of dropsy. He
was born in Rock Island Dec. 3. 1888, and his venerable parents are still
living in Le Claire. He had
been a resident of Peoria for a number of years, and was one of the active
energetic citizens of that place, representing the city’s claims to the M
W. A. head office of the Madison head camp.
Born in this locality 60 years ago, Mr. Van Sant was certainly
eligible to the title of “old settler” early in life.
He moved to Will county near Joliet, and was ordained a Methodist
minister. He filled charges
there and at Polo, Ill., and at Le Claire, this county, then became a steamboat
captain on the Mississippi, and later moved to Beardstown.
The he went to Peoria and engaged in business there.
He was a very active man, a good speaker and writer.
He had a great deal of influence with the people and was instrumental
in quelling the railroad riot in Peoria in 1877.
He leaves a wife and four children: Mrs. Dr. Mc Fall, of East Peoria;
George R. Van Sant, Fred Van Sant and Mrs. Blanche Mayer of Peoria.
Von
Hein Ewaldt
Marine
engineer
The Daily Times
Dec. 16, 1948
Pg. 14
Von
Hein Ewaldt (Ewald)
Ewaldt
Von Hein, 72, a life resident of Le Claire, died at the home of his sister,
Mrs. Charlotte Bissick of, of Le Claire, at 11:30 a. m. today following a
brief illness. A retired marine
engineer, Von Hein also was noted in this area for his chess-playing, having
been a member of the Tri-Cities chess and checker club and a participant in
a number of tournaments.
He was born in Le Claire Jan. 17, 1876.
surviving besides Mrs. Bissick are another sister Mrs. Dorothy Vance,
and a brother, Martin, both of Le Claire.
Three sisters and five brothers preceded him in death.
The body was taken to Runge Mortuary.
*
Bearers were Roy Long, Louie Herman, Lonnie Retherford, Robert Moore, Lee
Ruhf and Elmer Jugenheimer.
Von
Hein Hugo
Marine Engineer
The
Daily Times
Dec. 24, 1929
Pg. 4
Hugo
Von Hein of Le Claire Dies at Mt. Pleasant, Ia.
Le Claire Ia., Dec 24 Hugo von Hein, 45 of Le Claire died at the Mr.
Pleasant State Hospital, according to word received here today.
The body will be brought here for burial, arriving at 8:45 p. m.
today.
Born at 8:45, in Le Claire, he was the son of Martin and Katherine
Von Hein. He was a marine
engineer.
Surviving are four brothers, Charles, Rock Island, Ewald, Le Claire:
Martin, Le Claire and dick, Barcelona Spain and two sisters, Mrs. Lottie
Bissick and Mrs. Dorothy Vance, both of Le Claire.
He was a member of the Modern woodmen of America and the Masonic
Temple.
Von
Hein Martin
The
Davenport Democrat and Leader
Pg. 11
Von
Hein Martin
“Martin
Van Hein of Le Claire, 76 years old died at 2 o’clock this morning of
heart disease. He left nine
children. They are Dora, Lottie,
Charles, Leo, Ewald, William and Hugo at home, and Martin and Richard of
Seattle. Mr. Von Hein was a cawker (?) by trade.
He was formerly a stockholder in the le Claire Marine Railroad.”
Vogel
Charles
Davenport Democrat & Leader
Capt Blair Recalls some of the early boats
March 29, 1931
Walter
Blair
Cooks and Watchman, too
“And
I do not forget some of the good cooks we had, like Charlie Moore, John
McClung, Fred Foy and Mrs. Spicer-of whose meals we never tired.
And I remember too, some of our faithful watchman who kept awake and
guarded us- boat, passengers, crew and cargo-while we slept, and then had us
all up at the right time to proceed in the morning.
Charles Vogel was my
“old reliable” for many years. He never failed us.
(sometimes and at some places he had his troubles but he took care of
them.”
WASSON
Our
Darling Boy
Artie
Son of
Capt. I.H. & S.E
Wasson
Drowned June 2, 1881
Aged 4 yrs 3 Mos. 26 days
Capt. I. H. Wasson
The
Davenport
Democrat
May 12, 1916
Capt
I.
H. Wasson
The
remains of I. H. Wasson of
McCook
,
Neb.
A former citizen of Le Claire arrived here Tuesday evening accompanied by
Mrs. Wasson and son Fred and wife and other relatives.
Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at the Presbyterian
church conducted by Rev. M Krotser.
A choir composed of Mrs. J. E. Smith Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Meyer sang
favorite hymns. The Masonic
burial service was used at the grave. The
following brother masons acting as pallbearers.
J. L. Meyer. F. e. Speer. S E. Lancaster N. M. Smith J. M. Hawthorn
and Robert Rathman of
Davenport
. Burial was in Le Claire
cemetery.
Out of town friends in attendance were Dr. and Mrs. Fred Lambach, Mr.
and Mrs. E. T. Parmalee and Miss Mary Toher of
Davenport
.
*Capt Wasson was
connected with the Dimock-Gould Lumber Co. and was employed on the river.
Researcher Sue Rekkas
Wasson
the “
Moline
”
The “Mascot” , tow for the
Moline
“
Upper Mississippi
rafting Steamboats”
Edward
Mueller
“So
in a few days I was on the Steamer “
Moline
” with Captain Isaiah Wasson,
Jerome Ruby, Sam Nimrick, and Dan Dawley, engineers and Tom Cody, Mate. ´The
Moline
was owned by Dimmock, Gould and Co. of
Moline
ILL.
”
gmc
Dispatch
March 1, 1997
“There
were 19 men in the crew of the
Moline
. The first Captain J. H.
Wasson. It was reported that his successor, Capt. Walter Hunter, came ashore
in
Le Claire
,
Iowa
, on a dark night to hire a rapids pilot. When Capt. Hunter was near Capt.
Wasson’s home, Capt. Wasson struck Capt. Hunter on the head with a blunt
instrument. The incident was
accepted as normal rivalry between skippers.”
Webb
Bill
Old
Times On the Mississippi
By J. D. Barnes
Port Byron Globe
March 14, 1935
“Salt River is a little sluggish stream flowing into the
Mississippi just this die of the town of Louisiana, Mo.
The place is noted for being home and birthplace of the original Jo
bowers “all the way from Pike.” In the evening Tromley and most of the
crew concluded they would visit the town for the purpose of seeing the
sights and get something to eat. Among
the rest was notorious Bill Webb,
who on the down trip had boasted of serving in the rebel army.
Several of them, however, entered a billiard hall, when Webb
supposing he had met some confederates he began boasting of his prowess in
the rebel army, but he was mistaken in his men, for two of them whipped out
their knives and made for him. He
ran out of the room and down the street in the direction of the river and
they after him. They soon
caught him had began slashing him with knives.
He yelled “Murder!” and the officers came to his rescue.
He felt sure he was going to die, so he made a confession to the
effect that he had been a very bad man in his day.
He was sent to the hospital and it was found that he had five knife
wounds on his body. However he
survived and returned to Le Claire.”
Webb
N. F.
08-20-1870
Webb, Capt. N.F., Buried Linwood. Died from injuries on Steamer Montana.
The Life and Adventures of Stephen B. Hanks
1921
Burlington
Saturday Evening Post
“Recalling the Dred Scott Case”
Capt. Hanks speaking:
“I went to
Galena
early in the spring via
Fulton
and
Dixon
and I remember there was much ice still on the banks of the river when we
first went up. My regular
season’s work was on the
Itasca
with Captain Webb whose home was in Le Claire.
He had come from the
Ohio river
at an earlier date and was rather a peculiar man in some respects but we
became very good friends. He was perfectly bald and wore a wig.”
Wolverton Brothers
Chapter 38
E. H. Thomas
During the
time the great river was covered with raft boats the Wolverton Bros.,
established a boat yard at
Le Claire
,
Iowa
at the head of the upper rapids. Joe
and Wm. Wolverton came from the lakes and were good workmen.
They adopted a new and novel method for the construction of boats.
They kept a force of men at work building a continuous hull 18 feet wide.
This was about the regulation width of the raft steamers and other
boats of the smaller class used along there at that time.
When a man came along who wanted a boat the Wolverton’s would cut
off one from this continuous hull and give the purchaser any length
desired. The model bow
and stern would be added, and the hull slid into the river where the upper
works would be put on to it. I
remember that their price for a hull was $18 per running foot, built of good
oak lumber. Lumber was cheap at
that time and no such figures could be made now.
Lumber has gone up to such a figure that steamboat men of the present
time tell me that it is economical to make the hull of steel.
That the steel hull costs a little more, but when taking into account
the expense of repairs on the wooden hull for a period of 10 or 15 years the
steel hull is the cheapest of the two.
Zebley
Johnathan
“The
Le Claire Belle built at the Van Sant yard, came out in spring of 1873, and
took her place in the growing fleet of rafters and held it with credit and
profit for 17 seasons of steady work with scarcely an interruption.
Her hull was 127”x22”x4’; her engines 14”x4’ had been on
the gun boat Benton during the Civil War.
The Benton was later used as a ferry boat at Alton, Ill. For a while
then laid up, neglected and sunk in Alton slough.
Her engines, shaft, doctor (pump) and engine and some other parts
were fished out and bought for $1,000 and installed on the new boat.
She had a nice comfortable cabin with four staterooms on each side, a
small neat office in front and a kitchen, panty and mess room aft.
She had a skylight over her hall but the roof only extended a few
feet forward and aft of the cabin.
She was only 27 inches in draft and when running light was very fast,
but loaded she was only a 7 mile boat.
Van Sant and Son, Jonathan
Zebley, John
McCaffrey and R. F. Isherwood each owned one fourth at the time she was
complete but Mr. Zebley and Capt. “Bob” Isherwood soon sold out to the
other owners, Van Sant and Son and Capt. John McCaffrey.”
Photo
Bob Jones
Jonathan
Zebley
April 1890
Pictures
of Glendale cemetery Le Claire
http://www.rm-jones.com/
-
The
Daily Times, Monday, September 29, 1919
Mississippi
River Steamboat Captains Who Were Once Known From St. Paul to the Gulf
This picture was taken in Davenport during the convention of the
Upper Improvement Assocaiton in 1903. Each
of the seven men on the picture were once well known steamboat captains on
the Mississippi river, being known form St. Paul to the gulf, Capt. Alonzo
Bryson, former Davenport postmaster, is the only one of the seven men still
alive. Capt. Bryson is now 80
years old. Those on the picture
reading left to right are as follows: First
row-Capt W. C. Bennett, Moline, Capt. Vol Bigelow, La Cross, Capt. Alonzo
Bryson, Davenport, an Capt. John Lancaster, Le Claire, Second row-Capt Isaac
Mason, St. Louis, Capt. Bart Linnehan, Dubuque, and Capt. W. W. Kinnert,
Burlington.
Sue
Rekkas
Davenport
Democrat & Leader
August 12, 1917
STIFF
SIGHT ON RIVER STEAMER
“Red”
Schroeder of Clinton Tore things Loose on Evening Excursion
Clinton,
Ia. August 11-special
There was some lively doings on the steamer Sidney son after she
pulled out of here Friday evening with a moonlight excursion.
“Red” Schroeder a well-known police character, started to raise a
rough house. The boat policeman, assisted by Lieut. Vyles, tackled the
unruly passenger and a fierce engagement followed during which Schroeder was
given a good beating. He was
then locked up in a cabin on the boat but had not been incarcerated long
before, he jumped headforemost out of a window into the river,
The boat was brought to a standstill and after a diligent effort the
crew rescued Schroeder. He was
pulled aboard the boat but there was no more fight left in him.
He was returned to Clinton and let go.
Sue
Rekkas
The
Davenport Gazette
April 12, 1849
Pg. 3
Steamboat
register
Arrivals
Departures
April
5
Anthony
Wayne, Morrison St. Louis
St.
Croix, J. J. Smith
Oswego,
Smithers
Bon
Accord, Bersie
Dubuque
Dr.
Franklin, Lodwick
St. Peters
Dr.
Franklin No. 2, Monfort
Kentucky,
Ainsworth
Davenport
Dubuque,
Beebee
St. Louis
Cora,
Gorman
Bon
Accord, Bersie
St. Louis
Uncle
Toby, Mahony
Dubuque
Montaukm
Morehouse
America
Eagle, Cossen Davenport
Time
and Tide, Gould
Dubuque
Wisconsin,
Griffith
St.
Peters, Ward
Uncle
Toby, Mahony
St. Louis
Montauk,
Morehouse
Wisconsin,
Grif
References
to Le Claire men in:
OLD
TIMES ON THE MISSISSIPPI
Port Byron Globe
January
31, 1935
By J. D. Barnes
Arriving at Taylor Falls we discovered our cargo of corn had then
dropped the best down near a new mill for some stabs for fuel for the boat,
and right here we came very near having a very serious accident.
Tho it was only intended for a joke.
It was in this wise; the slabs were loading were up on a high bank
and had to be run down to the boat on a car, and it was quite a steep grade.
Dave Carr, Ira Thompson
and the writer were detailed to load the car at the top of the bank while
the remainder of the crew would unload and carry them aboard the boat.
Everything worked very nicely until the last load, which we three
loaders proposed to ride down on. It
was the last car and it would be so romantic-in the meantime, Jim
Davenport, for a joke, had knocked out the butting block at the
foot of the track, which left nothing between us and the icy waters of the
St. Croix. However, as we
neared the foot of the track, Tom Doughty
saw and realized our peril. He
rushed out with uplifted hands and cried out: For god’s Sake jump or you
will go into the lake.” Before he had time to repeat his words we were off
the car, and on she went at a lightning speed, cars, slabs and all pell mell
into the lake. As soon as Tromley
realized what had happened hi says: “boys, we had better get out of here
before that man comes what owns that railroad car.”
So we pulled on for Stillwater.
Davenport on being taken to task for what he had done, claimed that
he was innocent, that he had no idea that we would be so foolhardy as to
attempt it. Yet he would have laughed if we had gone into the lake.
He was worse scared than doughty when he saw us on the car.
He told Doughty who was standing half way up the track to give us
warning that the butting block was out and that they merely intended it for
fun of seeing the car and its cargo plunge into the lake.
Old
Times On the Mississippi
By J. D. Barnes
Port Byron Globe
Feb. 7, 1935
“We
will next return to Stillwater where the writer with several other Le Claire
boys had been set ashore and we realized the fact that we were adrift in a
strange town that was fast beginning populated with all classes of men.
The arrival of every boat form the south brought a fresh supply of
river men while they were coming in daily from the nine forests of the north
and the results was the little town presented a lively appearance as most of
this new population were of sporting character.
Accordingly for mutual protection, Ira
Thompson and the writer agreed to stand by each other, that is,
to incase one got into trouble the other was to use all available means for
his rescue. So off we started
up town but had not proceeded far when we ran across Ike
Wasson who was acting in the capacity of linesman for Sam
Register, on old floater who resides in Stillwater and he was
also shipping up a crew. After
some parley we hired to him at $1 a day, down time, and get back the best
way you can. On arriving at the
raft we were greeted by quite a number of Le Claire boys, among the number
were Lige Wakefield.
Lefe and Dick Boem, Bob McCall, Chris Adolph, Orrin Thompson, Jake
Schuck. Billy Moore.
The tow was not going to start out until the following evening so the
time was spent in rigging up our oars, as it was the custom for each
individual to attend to that matter himself, but he had to be very careful
not to raise his car too high.”
“Among the old floaters that comprised this now I can recall John
Leach, Dave Hanks, Charley Rhodes, Bill Dorr, Ed Du Prant, Ed Dunham, known
as Crazy Ed, Geo Brasser. Sam
Register. These men
were pilots had to stand his watch but they did not seem to have but very
little control over the men at the oars.
On one occasion when George
Brasser was on watch, he called to the men to pull a certain way
but the men did not understand so Orrin
Thompson hollered back, “Which way.” He replied. “Oh, any
way, so you pull.”
Old
Times On the Mississippi
By J. D. Barnes
Port Byron Globe
Feb. 28, 1935
“Arriving at Stillwater we found another raft all ready and waiting
for our pilot, Sam Register to be delivered at Muscatine.
According Ike Wasson shipped up the same crew almost to a man and
again the steamer Minnesota pushed us in company with several other rafts
thru the lake to Prescott. We
then made the run to the head of Lake Pepin where we remained until the tow
had all arrived, and while here Lige
Wakefield and Dick Swalley
of our crew, engaged in an altercation one day which was contrary to good
discipline, and the result was they were court marshaled and sentenced to go
ashore. Wakefield however, was not long out of a job for the Winnie Will, Si
Bradley, captain, was lying a little below us so he hired out and
remained with them most of the season.
The latter boat will be remembered by the old floaters as one of the
pioneer raft boats. She was a
primitive affair; however, as he fulfilled her mission which was only to
demonstrate the practicability of the steamboat for rafting purposes.”
Old
Times On the Mississippi
By J. D. Barnes
Port Byron Globe
March 7, 1935
“The arrival of the steamer at La Crosse with cholera on board, had
created a panic throughout the town an it was the all absorbing topic. The
consequence was the place presented a gloomy appearance and I determined to
shake it as soon as possible. Accordingly,
on the following day I strolled up to what was then called North La Crosse,
where I chanced to meet Miles Swank
and Walt Henderson, who had
been working at the calking business. They,
too, had caught the cholera panic and had decided to leave the place.
So we all began to look around for a raft that was going to pull out
soon, and the sooner the better for us.”
“Johnny Malvern was
only a remnant of a man, having lost an arm and an eye in his country’s
service. He was a very quiet
man, though whatever he said on his raft was law.
One evening a little after dark when we were making a landing, he
overheard Miles Swank making
use of harsh language against him for running late.
Malvern said nothing, however, but on the following morning Swank was
called up, paid off and set ashore. After
delivering our raft at Clinton, Walt
Henderson and I returned to La Cross and shipped out with Ed
Root. Well say! He
was a little the cleverest and nicest Pilot it had been our fortune to fall
in with. For instance if we had
to work our oars very long at a time he would politely ask the men to excuse
him, ad he would try and do better next time.
Nothing worthy of note occurred on this trip.
In due time we delivered our raft at Clinton, after which, Walt
Henderson and I boarded a Western Union train for Port Byron and
it was not long before we were enjoying Le Claire society once more.”
Old
Times On the Mississippi
By J. D. Barnes
Port Byron Globe
March 14, 1935
“The crew made up from, Le Claire as near as I can remember were as
follows: Pilot, George Tromley;
clerk, Little Jim Davenport;
cook, John Wesley, also known
in Le Claire as Injun John, and he was one of the finest cooks that was ever
on board a floating raft. Tho’
to relish his cooking you did not want to see him, for his appearance was
not at all inviting. He will be
remembered as having been murdered a few years later and his body thrown in
the river by “Red handed Mike,”
who was captain of a floating house, while lying at the island this side of
Rapids City. His remains were
found and identified a little below Hampton.
The names of the remainder of the crew were Walt
Henderson, Miles Swank, Hayden
Franks, Bill Amonds, Tom Miller, Daniel Gallager, Ike Pinkerton, Bill
Webb, who afterwards proved to be a notorious jailbird, and
others that I cannot recall to mind. When
we arrived at Muscatine, Tromley was not feeling very well and he was
certain he was going to have the cholera, so he employed a doctor and we
remained there three days. Tromley
however, got better and we once more pulled out.”
Old
Times On the Mississippi
By J. D. Barnes
Port Byron Globe
March 28, 1935
“I had been in Stillwater a little over a week and time was
becoming monotonous, so far a change I thought I would take a stroll down
the lake, but I had not gone far before I sighted a boat coming up the lake,
and it was not long before I recognized my old standby, the Canada, so I
bent my steps back to the landing for I was almost certain there would be
some Le Claire boys aboard of her. Sure
enough for when I arrived there I found George
Tromley, J. R. R. Lindley (known as Kentuck), Sam Hitchcock
and Jo Hawthorn, pilots and about forty men, all from Le Claire.
In answer to the question “Was there anybody left in the town?”
The reply was “No, Le Claire took a vomit and there was nothing left of
her.”
Old
Times On the Mississippi
By J. D. Barnes
Port Byron Globe
April 4, 1935
“In about a week the first tow of the season was to go out, and Sam
Hitchcock and Lo Hawthorn had a raft that was to be delivered at Alton,
Ill., accordingly the Le Claire boys on being appraised of this flocked them
and it was not long before they had a crew comprised of our own town boys
exclusively. As this proved to
be my last trip on the river aboard a raft I shall go more in details.
As before stated the tow was the first of the season, and besides the
raft which composed the tow was Bob Dodds,
Bill Dorr, Hank Peavy, Ed
Durant and others.”
“In the chapter preceding this one, referring to
the le Claire boys, that the good people of Stillwater looked upon as tramps
and bums in the spring of 1867. I
failed to mention that many of those same boys are today our most prominent
river men and are numbered with the pilots and engineers.
The next boat from the south after the Canada brought another
installment of Le Claire boys into Stillwater.
It appears that John Elliott, John
Hanley, Fritz Peterson, Walt
Henderson and Herb Rutledge,
had been calking down at la Crosse, but business being rather dull they came
up to Stillwater for the purpose of rafting, so the place was well
represented. You could have
stood on a street corner and seen them all almost any time of the day.”
“The following names comprised the boys crew of our raft; John
Hanley, John Elliott, Fred Peterson, Walt Henderson, Ed Cassilly, Lige
Wakefield, Orrin Thompson, Christ Adolph, Dave Carr and Herb Rutledge.
On the stern of the raft were Tom Kelly, Bob McCall, Ike Pinkerton,
Billie Dodd, Billie Moore, Dick and Rave Boerm, Jo River, Ike Bard, Ira
Thompson and the writer. The
str. Minnesota towed us thru both the lakes all right.
The trip down the river was a very pleasant one until we reached that
much dreaded “Chimney Rock Crossing.”
The river at that time being at a high stage we were in consequence
drawn onto a tow head and broke our raft up somewhat.
Our pilot, who was one of the coolest men to be found in time like
that, did not get excited in the least, but on the contrary he stood like a
statue until the crisis had passed, then he gave orders to the men what they
should do. There never was a
better man at fitting up a raft than Sam
Hitchcock. The
remainder of the journey was not disturbed by any more breakups of any
note.”
“On our arrival at Clinton a telegram was in waiting announcing the
death of John Elliots father,
so he boarded the first train for home.
This left a vacancy on the bow of the raft, which I was ordered to
fill, and I was very glad of the opportunity, for the boys said I was
pulling the hardest oar that ever cam out of the St. Croix. To tell of the
truth, however, there was but two oars on the stern of the raft that
amounted to anything, which were Ira
Thompson’s and the one in question.
The other eight was what they called bug skimmers on the river.
You would be compelled to run to keep pace with them.
At Princeton Jim Rambo
was taken aboard to fill vacancy caused by John
Elliott. Accordingly
he was directed to oar which I had recently vacated and on taking hold of it
he enquired who had been working it before he came aboard.
Ira Thompson who was nearest him gave the required information and
this was his response: “Well,
I always gave Barnes credit for having more sense than to work such an oared
as that.” The first move he
made was to raise it six inches by blocking it up.”
More
Le Claire River Men
1870 Census
LeClaire
Iowa
Sherwood James
24 M W Carpenter on Boat . . Pa .
Sherwood Anna 22 F W Keeps House . . Mo
Dyer W. 22 M W Carpenter . .
Iowa
William Weston 28 M W Civil Engineer . . Mass
Chase Louis 21 M W . . . S.C. .
Nicholls A.F. 24 M W Watchman on Boat . .
Ohio
. .
McCorty James T. 40 M W Mate on S Boat . .
Ireland
(Surname
may be McCarty)
Pavey Paul 47 M W Engineer . . Ky
Webb N.F. 61 M W S Boat Capt. . . NY . .
Lang H.C. 46 M W Civil Engineer . . Pa .
Henderson
W.C. 24 M W Calker . . NY
Payne John T. 65 M W S Boat Mate . .
Minn
.
Martin Absalom 34 M W Engineer . . Va . . .
Burn Thomas 24 M W Engineer on S Boat . . NY . .
VanHam Martin 37 M W Ship Carpenter …
Holstein
. Surname may be VanHuen or VanHain
VanHam Katharine 22 F W Keeps House . .
Hanover
VanHam Charles 3 M W . VanHam Clara 3/12 F W . . .
Iowa
Deppe William 51 M W Ship Carpenter …
Holstein
X
Deppe Dora 50 F W Keeps House . .
Holstein
McGran James 39 M W Ship Carpenter …
Ireland
McGran Maria 42 F W Keeps House . .
Ireland
McGran Mary Ann 18 F W At Home . .
Ireland
196
McGran James 12 M W . . .
Iowa
McGran Eliza Ella 10 F W . . .
Iowa
McGran Maria 8 F W . . .
Iowa
Thompson Stephen 37 M W Pilot on Boat .. .
Ill
.
Thompson Lavina 29 F W Keeps House . .
Ill
Thompson Hannah 11 F W At Home . .
Iowa
.
Thompson Laura 4 F W . . .
Iowa
Le
Claire Pilots
Henry
Horton...................................Le Claire, Iowa
Thomas Doughty..............................Le Claire, Iowa
E.P. Bartlett......................................Le Claire, Iowa
J.L. Carver........................................Le Claire, Iowa
Enock Davies....................................Le Claire, Iowa
Chas. Burrell.....................................Le Claire, Iowa
George Carroll...................................Le Claire, Iowa
John Van Alstine...............................Le Claire, Iowa
Charles Follett...................................Le Claire, Iowa
Robert Shannon.................................Le Claire, Iowa
David Nugent.....................................Le Claire, Iowa
Hugh Shannon...................................Le Claire, Iowa
Peter Quinn........................................Le Claire, Iowa
James Stedman..................................Le Claire, Iowa
T.F. Long...........................................Le Claire, Iowa
F.E. Goldsmith..................................Le Claire, Iowa
Daniel Dawley...................................Le Claire, Iowa
Joe Manwaring..................................Le Claire, Iowa
Le Claire
Iowa
Raft Mates
Thos. Maley,
Le Claire.
Thos, Kennedy,
Le Claire.
Henry Tweisel,
Le Claire.
Henry Massman,
Le Claire.
John Bailey,
Le Claire.
John Elliott,
Le Claire.
James Shannon,
Le Claire.
George Stenhouse,
Le Claire
Chapter
VII
E. H. Thomas
Boiler
Explosions and Storms and the Havoc Caused by Them
Considering the large number of boats and men employed the loss of
life was small during that period. I
shall always remember one of these explosions for I lacked about fifteen
minutes of getting into it.
The stern
wheel Steamer Lansing was owned by Rambo & Son of Le Claire.
She made daily trips to
Davenport
, leaving Le Claire in the morning and returning in the evening.
I was in Le Claire and there met Robert Smith, a pilot, with
whom I had a slight acquaintance. I
am not sure, but I think he was the son-in-law of the elder Rambo.
I was going down the river and he told me that he was to take the
Sterling
to
Davenport
on the following day for the Rambo’s, and invited me to ride with him.
I accepted the invitation and told him I would be on hand next
morning at 7:30. I was stopping
at a hotel near the river and just opposite the steamboat landing.
I was up next morning in ample time, but the hotel-keeper was late
with breakfast. Myself and two
other men missed the boat. We
crossed the river to take the train, and there learned that the
Lansing
had exploded one of her boilers while lying at the town of
Hampton
. The
Lansing
left Le Claire that morning with 10 or 12 passengers.
When Smith landed her at
Hampton
the wind was hard on the shore. When
ready to leave there the wind held her to the bank, and she would not back
out. A spar was set at the stern
of the boat to sparn out and the passengers were all back there assisting in
the work. Smith was at the wheel
in the pilot house and the clerk in his office.
The
Lansing
had two boilers, and while the sparring was going on the shore, the boiler
exploded, going high in the air. Smith
and the clerk, whose name, I think, was Vandyke , were killed. Van
Dyke’s body was blown across the river, where it drifted across the river
up to the shore. Pilot Smith was
blown in the opposite direction-out into the town.
The shore at
Hampton
was flat, and the wind had driven the side of the boat upon it, and it was
said that the explosion was caused, not by steam pressure, but from a lack
of water in the shore boiler. The
hull of the boat laying on an incline, forced all the water out of one
boiler and into the other.
“May
the waters that took you away, return you to me”
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