River Men

Clinton County, Iowa

Photo McClure

 

Compiled by Georgeann McClure

 

This is not meant to be a complete list.  If you have information on a riverman please feel free to add his information

 

 

Anderon J. D.

Steamboatman

 

Baldwin F. R.

pilot

 

Barnes George

pilot

 

J. W. Barr

Capt.

Mr. Whipple married, in Clinton, Iowa, Lottie L., daughter of Captain J. W. Barr, now retired and living at Vinton.

 

Bentley Capt.

Lyons Advertiser

May 8, 1874

Our worthy fellow citizen Capt. Bentley has been making an addition at his residence.  The improvement consists of a wing extending northward from the main building.

 

Berryan Frank B.

Boat builder

 

Bolman Isaac

Engineer

 

Clinton Herald

April 1, 1933

“When Rafters Ruled “

Jerome Short speaking:

Soon after return from the Louisiana trip we commenced our summer’s work.  Brother Lyman went on some other boat-I believe with P. B. Davidson.  Albert Duncan was my partner and a fine man and good pilot.  I was very fond of him.  He made several trips with us.  One trip in the early morning he went to sleep on watch and came near wrecking the Chancy on the rocks at Buena Vista.  Isaac Bolman, head engineer, was sitting on the guard outside the engine room and when he saw what was going to happen he shut off steam and set her backing full force.  She hit hard enough to send every one asleep out on deck to see what was the matter but not hard enough to do any damage.

 

Brayton G. W.

Steamboat agent

Lyons paper

March 27, 1874

 

We are enabled through the courtesy of Mr. G. W. Brayton, the gentlemanly and efficient agent of the Northern Line at this port, to give the following river items:

The Clinton passed down on Wednesday, taking from this point thirteen hundred packages.  Mr. gates consigned to parties in St. Louis by the Clinton on this trip over three thousand bushels of wheat.

 

Burns Thomas

Works on steamboat (pilot)

 

Edwards William H.

Engineer

 

Carpenter George

Engineer

 

Clinton Herald

April 1933

“When Rafters Ruled”

Capt. Jerome Short speaking:

“And so we parted, about as we had met.  The old gentleman and I had a good many “spats” in those days but there was nothing in any of them that interfered with our mutual friendly feeling. One thing, though, that he insisted upon that I never could be reconciled to.  Should the second pilot of the Chancy make a mistake and get into trouble that would cause loss of time or damage I would get orders to pay him off and I had to let out three pilots on such orders and I disliked it very much as all were good me.  The order to discharge the first one George Carpenter, was brought to me by Lafayette Lamb.  I began to argue with “”Lafe” and tried to have him talk with his father and let me keep George as he had not done anything to warrant discharge, just got stuck for a day at Bellevue slough, a thing that was liable to happen to any of us. But it was no use, he had to go.

The carpenter family and our family lived as neighbors for many years only a street between us and we were the best of friends.  Chris Carpenter and I were the only ones who quarreled.  He was about twelve days my senior and we had a fight when we were about ten years old.  The fight must have been a draw for when it was over I thought Chris had licked me and he thought I had licked him and we were so afraid of each other that we were warm friends ever after.”

 

Cary James

 

Cole C. J.

 

Cross J. N.

Capt.

Lyons Advertiser

Aug. 1874

Judge H. R. Mudoda citizen of Stillwater Minnesota is visiting his Brother-in-Law Capt. J. N Cross of this city.  He will remain several days.

 

Crawshaw J

 Lyons Advertiser

May 8, 1874

Mr. J. Crawshaw has his night ferry running regular now between Lyons and Fulton.  Anyone can go to and from any train any hour through the night at a reasonable charge.

 

Crippen Wilks

Pilot

 

Curtis John S

Shipping Clerk

 

Deal Harry T.

Works on steamboat

 

Duly Joseph

Pilot

 

Duncans

Duncan A. E.

Steamboats and Steamboatmen of the Upper Mississippi

George B. Merrick

“Captain Albert Duncan was an oldtime raft pilot. In 1880, 1881 and 1882 he was master of the Park Painter.  In 1882, in company with Captain O. P. McMahon, he built the Silver Wave.  In November 1913 He was living in Clinton, Iowa

Clinton Herald

“When Rafters Ruled”

 April 1, 1933

Jerome Short speaking:

  “Soon after return from the Louisiana trip we commenced our summer’s work.  Brother Lyman went on some other boat-I believe with P. B. Davidson.  Albert Duncan was my partner and a fine man and good pilot.  I was very fond of him.  He made several trips with us.”

 

Clinton Herald

April 10, 1933

 

Albert Duncan Veteran river Captain, dies

 

Captain A. E. Duncan, 83, 2102 Roosevelt street, prominent Northend resident, and well known former steamboat captain, on the Mississippi river, died at 8:15 o’clock Sunday night in Jane Lamb Hospital.

Death was due to a concussion of the brain, caused by a fall sustained sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning at his home where he was found at 9:45 o’c.ock Sunday morning by Phillip Shive of Cedar Rapids, who had an appointment with him to take a trip up the river.  He found him unconscious at the foot of the basement stairway, where he ahd fallen.

No funeral plans have been made other than that services probably will be held Wednesday afternoon in the family home.  His daughter, Mrs. C. M. Noble, will be unable to attend, as she submitted to a mastoid operation last Thursday in Detroit Michigan  Mrs. Edith Duncan Fay will arrive Wednesday morning from Cocoa, Fla.

Albert E. Duncan was born Dec. 24, 1850, near Ogdenburg, M. Y.  He came west with his parents when a child, and lived in this city for many years.  In 1880 he was married to Miss Ella Austin, who preceded him in death in the spring of 1926.  A daughter, Mrs. Helen Duncan Howe, died in 1928.  Of his immediate family he is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Edith Duncan Fay of Coca, Fla.  Mrs. Charles M. Noble of Detroit, Mich., and Miss Ruth Duncan of Chicago, two grandchildren, Charlotte and Duncan Noble of Detroit, Mich., and two brothers, James Duncan of Moline, Ill., and William Duncan of Clovis, Calif.

Captain Duncan’s life story, as told in sketches and anecdotes from time to time in the Herald, was an epic of life on the upper Mississippi.  Renowned far and wide as one of the finest characters in the life that developed that which was best or the worst in a man, he advanced from what might be termed as an apprentice in the art of raft-boating to ownership and operation of his own boat.  For many years he made rafting trips for C. Lam & sons, and was a close friend of Chancy Lamb and his sons, Artemus and La Fayette.  Capt., Duncan made an enviable season’s record of runs in more than one instance but it was his proudest boast that as a pilot he had a clean record and never had an accident to mar the log of his navigation days.

 

Clinton Herald

April 12, 1933

 

Funerals

Captain A. E. Duncan

 

Funeral services for Captain A. E. Duncan, were held at 3:30 o’clock today in the late home, 2101 Roosevelt street.  The Rev. Frederic G. Williams officiated.  During the service Mrs. H. P. Fischer and Mrs. Harry Eaton sang “Lead Kindly Light” and Mrs. Eaton read “Crossing the bar” by Tennyson.

Burial was in Oakland cemetery, the pallbearers being M. J. Gabriel, A. L. Holmes, E. H. Gheer, J. M. Waters, Carl Hoover and M. C. Lollich.

Coming from out of the city to attend the funeral were Mrs. Edith Duncan Fay of Coca, fla., c. M. Noble of Detroit, Mich., James Duncan of Moline Ill., Mrs. Jennie Duncan of De Witt, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Shrive of Cedar Rapids.

 

Duncan James

Pilot

(830 North 2^nd St. )

 

Duncan Thomas

Captain

 

Davenport Republican
Dec. 13, 1901

List of Masters for the Year

Boat             Captain

Vivian       Thomas Duncan

Going back to the 1880 for Rock Island, R.I. Co, Il has the household for boat captain Oliver P. & Nettie MCMAHN. Living next door is river captain Albert E. & Etta Duncan. Albert's brother James lives with them as a boat worker. Dick Tagert

 

Walter Blair “ A Raft Pilots Log”

O.P. McMahon and A.E. Duncan,
also of Clinton, have retired from business with a comfortable fortune, The latter two were designers and builders of the steamer 'Silver Crescent.'

 

Durfair Mitchell

fireman

 

Edwards Wm.

 

Flynn John

raftsman

 

Harlock William Jr.

Capt.

“Lyons 150 years North of the Big Tree”

Connie Heckert

Captain William Harlock, Jr. (1857-1927), piloted vessels on the Mississippi river.  Fter 1890, he continued to operate two boats from his line; they were profitable until the 1910’s.  The Nina Douseman, built at La Cross, Wisconsin, and the W. Harlock, built in Clinton and piloted by Captain Harlock’s wife, ( Adel Smith)“were in constant crossings and carrying capacity crowds.”  One reason for this was because Iowa was at the time a “dry” state.  The Nina sank in the late 1910’s and the Harlock eventually went coal-hauling on the Iowa-Illinois canal.

 

Herst Mitchell

Works on steamboat bsc

 

Hollingshead

“When Rafters Ruled” - The Career of Capt. Jerome E. Short

A graphic story of his 55 years of service on the Upper Mississippi.  Edited and copyrighted, 1933 by Captain Fred A. Bill, St. Paul, Minnesota

Chapter 9

“Anyway I was very much surprised to have Artemus Lamb say to me one day that they had Capt Hollingshead and the Abner Gile to work with the Chancy in dredging the slough and for me to get busy at once!  Well, I was stunned.    I had no idea whether the scheme would work, or not but I was in for it and I saw myself taking a lot of joshing if it failed.

Capt. Hollingshead and I got the two boats in place at the upper end of the slough: put out an anchor on the outside of each boat, well aft, came ahead slowly until the slack was taken up and the anchors fast and then came ahead strong.  I could see by the amused expression of Hollingshead’s face that he thought he was about to have the best laugh of his life, and I did not feel that he was far wrong.  Five minutes after we began work ahead full speed we had a pile of mud and sand just behind the wheels at least three feet higher than the water.  I was then ready to commit suicide, but the water was too shallow so I said to Hollingshead that we would stop the boats, drop back against the mud piles and try again.  We dropped back, took in the slack of the lines on the capatans and went at it again.  In a few minutes the nearby mud pile was gone and another one was in sight a little further down.  We repeated the process and in about two hours we were down about four hundred feet and laid up for the night.  Next morning we took in our anchors ran long lines down to stumps and in that way we could nigger the boats down as we desired without stopping them.  When we got to the lower end of the slough we took a run up through it and found generally about four and a half feet of water, where in most places there had been about 20 inches, with a fair current that would insure a good channel for some time.  So the fool stunt was a pretty good success. One-half of each raft for several trips went into the slough in order to “hold our rights.”

 

Hollingshead Al.

Pilot Little Turner

410 11^th Av.

 

Burlington Saturday Evening Post

Recollections of the Old river

J. M. Turner

5-20-1922

 

Capt. J. M. Turner speaking:

“Then in 1877 and 1878 we ran the Dells Lumber Co. for two years to Hannibal, Mo. On contract.  In 1881 we ran the Steamer Golden Gate two years.  Then Alfred Hollingshead and myself formed a co-partnership to run for seven years.  This brought us up to 1889.” 

‘The firm of Turner, Hollingshead & Co. terminated in 1889.”

 

Chapter XLIV

Capt. Alf. Hollingshead and myself entered into a co-partnership under an agreement in writing and under that contract we were the manager.  Capt. Hollingshead was at the boat yard at Eagle Point.  He had the Steamer Pauline on the way for minor repairs.  We pulled the Clyde out on the cradles for the winter and after several days we got a bid from the Iowa Iron Works to rebuild and remodel the boat into a stern wheeler.  The Iowa Iron Works was very much in need of winter work for their men and done good work at a reasonable price.

They put in two steel boilers that would be allowed two hundred pounds, also new engines 14 inch bore and six foot stroke.  After the boat got quite well along toward completion Captain Hollingshead got it into his head that the boat would out run  anything on the river. We both spent a good part of our time at the boat yard.  One day the Captain asked me if I knew the name of the fastest running animal on earth.  We told him we thought the Reindeer was considered the fastest.  He then said, “that is going to be the name of the new boat.”  We told him it was a nice name and satisfactory to us.  It then soon got seized around the yard that the Clyde was going to lose her name.

*Mr. John Hopkins renamed the Reindeer, “The Clyde” after the River Clyde in Scotland.

 

Hollingshead Horace

When Rafters Ruled” - The Career of Capt. Jerome E. Short

Chapter 18

Jerome E. Short speaking:

“Captain Horace Hollingshead had asked me to buy his interest in the Abner Gile but until this conversation with Al Duncan I had not given it very serious consideration.  I then told him I would give him an answer in a few days.”

 

Hollingshead Ed

 

 

Hufman Frank

engineer

 

Hufman Fred

Engineer

 

Hufman Robert

Engineer

 

Clinton Herald

April 1933

“When Rafters Ruled”

“Once Mrs. Lafayette Lamb, her two children and a lady friend made a trip with us.  I told all the men to be on their best behavior, answer all questions, render any help possible and to keep an eye on the kids.  The captain himself was to do likewise and it was our intention to make his trip as pleasant as possible for them.  Mrs. Lamb was a daughter of Robert Hufman, chief engineer for the company, and he was the right man in the right place.  So we all said “yes, ma’am,” “no, ma’am,” and told them all the stories and legends of the river we knew-and perhaps some we did not know.”

 

Hugunin Harry

pilot

 

Kelly William

Works on steamboat

 

Kindred William O.

engineer

 

King C. H.

pilot

 

Krause Wm.

 

Lamb Artemus

Waterways Journal

April 27,1900    Page 11

 

Death of Artemus Lamb.

 

It was reported here this week that Artemus Lamb of Clinton Iowa died at the Hotel Caronada, San Diego, Cal. On the 21^st inst. He was badly injured in a railroad wreck near Rock Springs last winter, and was taken to San Diego in the private car of president Burt of the Union Pacific Railroad. He was at first Threatened with blood poisoning but got over that, and there were hopes of his recovery.

On the 11^th inst. A dispatch was received at Clinton, stating that he would not recover and death came soon thereafter.

Mr. Lamb was a man of wonderful business capacity. He was the head of the large lumbering firm of C. Lamb and Sons, and many other corporations requiring great executive ability to manage. His lost will be serious felt by the whole northwest. He had the ability to make money and he spent it with a liberal hand where it would do the most good.

 

Lamb  La Fayette (Lafe)

Lyons Weekly Mirror

May 3, 1873

The new steamboat just built by Messrs. Lamb & sons, in Clinton is to be christened the Artemas Lamb.  Her length is 140 ft; breath of beam 24 ft. 4 in; depth of hold 4 ft 4 in, hs 3 boilers, cylinder 16 ½ in. diameter and 5 feet stroke.  Upon her upper deck the Artemus has eighteen good staterooms and a pleasant and well furnished cabin.  Mr. Jr. R. Morgan, the builder, appears to have done his work well, and no labor or expense has been spared to make the Artemus not only a good boat but a model of her class, combining vast strength with great beauty.  Mr. Robt. Hofman put in the machinery which is well worth seeing.  The boat is now receiving the finishing touches and will be complete and ready to meet her consort the Chauncy, in the towing of rafts, in about a week.  Mr. La Fayette lamb will command the new boat and we most heartily wish him bon voyage.

Messrs, Lamb & son are also building a barge to be used in transporting lumber, on the river.  It is to be 200 ft. long by 25 ft. in width, with a carrying capacity of 500 tons.  It will be completed in about 10 days.

 

Lachmund

Lachmund Ida S. Moore

Capt.

History of Clinton county Iowa 1976

Ida S. Moore (Mrs. Paul) Lachmund, commodore of the Gardiner, Batch Elder & Welles fleet, is among the first women pilots and steamboat captains.

 

Waterways Journal

Jan 21, 1899 p. 12

July 19 1902 p 9

 

WebRoots.org
Nonprofit Library for Genealogy & History-Related Research
A Free Resource Covering the United States and Some International Areas
Library - United States - Women in America

“She has owned interests in half a dozen boats. Some of them went to the bottom, but the mistress of the "Dodds" knew as well how to raise them and put them on the ways as her captain. When the "Robert Dodds" was placed in the rafting trade, Mrs. Lachmund personally inspected hull, boiler and machinery. She, with the assistance of her officers, plans all repairs. She buys all her stores and fuels. She makes her own contracts with the mills and adjusts her losses and differences. In a cozy upper room of the Lachmund home in Clinton is her office. Much of her correspondence is dictated from here. On the down trip Mrs. Lachmund's custom is to leave the boat at some point near home and run in ahead on the railroad.”

 

Lachmund Paul

Capt.

Husband of Ida Moore Lachmund

Full Text LACHMUND, Paul
Memorial & Biographical Record…of Columbia, Sauk and Adams Counties, Wis. Part II 705 1901

 

Mangold Festus C.

Steamboat hand

 

McCaffery John

“When Rafters Ruled”

Clinton Herald

April, 1933

“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.”

 

McCaffery Wm.

pilot

 

Mc Keever John

 

 

Mc Mann O. P.

“Steamboats and Steamboatmen

Of the Upper Mississippi”

12-22-19

George B. Merrick

“Captain Albert Duncan was an old time raft pilot. In 1880, 1881 and 1882 he was master of the Park Painter.  In 1882, in company with Captain O. P. McMahon, he built the Silver Wave.

 

MC MAHON NETTIE J. 1848 04/05/1932 Clinton IA 04/07/1932 F/W 84 SPRINGDALE 41 44
MC MAHON OLIVER P. 1842 1927 M/W SPRINGDALE 41 44

 

Info from the Iowa Genealogy web site is from Helen Hanson's book, 'Trailways to Albany 2000' She has the 2 Oliver's confused. On page 59 she says Oliver was born 1842. That would be Oliver P.(no middle name) who is son of John and Rachel (Hugunin) McMahan. ( She has them all listed as McMann (McMahon) ). Oliver P. was a river boat Capt. , married to 'Nettie' and they lived in Clinton in 1910.

She also has Oliver b 1818 married to Elizabeth ( which is right) but they lived in Clinton instead of Albany. I don't have a middle initial for him.

A sketch of Oliver P. by Don Ingram states "Oliver P was on the SILVER CRESCENT for a long time and helped build her."

Jerome Short was also a river boat Capt. from Albany. He was born 1849 in Albany to Ira and Eliza Short. In the 1880 Census he was married to Mary M and had 2 children Leslie D. and Wade F.

(As he was a river boat Capt. I assume this is the one they are looking for.)

I have no info on Albert and Thomas Duncan.

 

They are my ancestors and came to Albany 1836. Their father, Joseph McMahan, was killed in the explosion of the Moselle at the Port of Cincinnati 1838 I think. He had returned to OH to pick up the family belongings they couldn't bring on the 1st trip and was returning on the Moselle.

Gregory and Oliver ran a ferry Albany to Clinton and later Gregory is said to have been a riverboat captain - Albany to St. Louis and married to an Anderson, but that's all I know. Oliver had some buildings in Albany and later in Clinton, IA. He was a businessman and banker (president of Lyons Bank when he died). We don't have a middle initial for him, but he (or his bank) may have financed the building of a boat?? Don't know anything about the Silver Wave. He had 5 wives and is buried in the Lyons Cemetery.

 

Mc Nearn Edward

 

Mead Geo. B.

Cook on steamboat

 

Mikesell Sam

 

Mikesell Abe

 

Minter William

 

Mitchell Abe

pilot

 

Monroe John

Pilot

History of the Packet Lines by F. A. Whitney

“Captain Monroe of Lyons, Iowa writes me that some of the raft boats got away from me in my list.  I appreciated his calling my attention to it as they were all good boats and shall live in the history of the great river.  Here they are:’

 

Moore William

Moore Rites on Thursday
1932  May, 4

Old River Captain’s Rites to Be at Home; other funerals.

Clinton Ia. May 4- Funeral services for Captain William Moore former river man, will be conducted in the home Thursday at 2:30 o’clock by the Rev. S. V. Williams.  Mr. Moore will be laid to rest in Oakland beside his wife, who died last week.

Captain Moore was born Dec. 16 1851, in Pennsylvania. He came to Le Claire as a boy and began his work on the river when he was about 13 years old. He was captain on various boats including a packet that ran from Le Claire to Dubuque many years; He had been retired 16 years. His marriage to Georgianna White of Le Claire was solemnized in Davenport in 1876, and they lived there until 1889, when he came here.

Captain Moore was a member of De Molay consistory here, Kaaba temple, Davenport, and the Le Claire blue lodge of Masons, also the odd fellows lodge of Le Claire

 

Morgan John

Ship carpenter

 

Morgan Robert

Ship carpenter

 

Murphy Edwin

 

 

Murphy William

 

 

Newsome John

Engineer

Clinton Herald

April 8, 1933

Jerome  E. Short speaking:

“During the summer of 1876 the Chancy was laid up and I was transferred to the Artemus with Capt Cornelius Knapp.  Coming down one trip with a log raft when about a mile above Bellevue the main steam pipe burst at the curve just above the throttle and split the copper pipe for nearly two feet.  John Newsome, the chief engineer, was sitting in his chair with his feet on the throttle stand.  The force of the explosion blew him and the chair back into the blacksmith shop and he landed right at the after hatch.  He opened the hatch, went down in the hold, made his way forward to ad just under the throttle.  I went down on the raft, got out a line and landed as soon as possible.  Meantime the fireman was looking for the engineer and when I got on board they had him out of the hold.  We had sent for a doctor and when he examined Newsome found his fingernails missing.  We went into the hold and where he had squalled down, using his hands to support his body were his ten fingernails.  He lived only a few hours.  News of the accident was sent to the company at Clinton and a crew was put on the chancy and steam raised as soon as possible and the boat left with Mrs. Newsome, but he was gone before she reached his side.”