Robert H. Trombley

TROMBLEY

Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 9/10/2014 at 14:35:17

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. Trombley 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.

Source: Unknown.

Contributed by Sue Rekkas

Capt. Trombley who took own life in Dubuque was well known in Davenport.

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 Trombley died several years ago.

Capt. Trombley 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.

Source: Davenport Democrat and Leader, Davenport, Ia., 25 May 1923, p. 15.

Contributed by Sue Rekkas.

RIVER PILOT WHO DIED AT DUBUQUE IS LAID TO REST.

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.

Source: Daily Times, Davenport, Ia., 27 Mar ?.

Contributed by Sue Rekkas.