Greetings from the Upper Mississippi. Please convey to Capt. David Smith the great job he is doing with the weekly historic boat column. I particularly have enjoyed the several articles… Read More
Idlewild
Legendary calliopist and steamboat master Capt. Clarke Campbell “Doc” Hawley, a native of Charleston, W.Va., and a near-50-year resident of New Orleans, died November 12 from complications related to throat… Read More
The river community was saddened recently to learn of the passing of Capt. Clarke C. “Doc” Hawley at age 87. Hawley, a Charleston, W.Va., native, was related to the Calvert… Read More
Happy New Year! Along with the onset of winter, we begin the first Old Boat Column of 2022 with a look back at Alton Slough, a narrow inlet on the… Read More
One hundred and seven years ago today, the steel hull of the steamer Idlewild plunged into the Allegheny River at the James Rees yard on October 18, 1914. It is… Read More
Before the grand opening of the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge, spanning the Ohio River between Louisville, Ky., and Jeffersonville, Ind., numerous ferries were in operation over many decades. The… Read More
Seven decades ago, on May 11, 1949, the steamer Avalon arrived at my hometown of New Albany, Ind., just across the Ohio River from Louisville, Ky. The last of the… Read More
The Sadie Downman, which was typical of the small towboats that ran on southern rivers, was built in 1899. Records show that the steamboat was first inspected at Morgan City,… Read More
