pg 209

We have only been able to get fragmentary and disconnected facts relating to the navigation of the Iowa and Cedar rivers. The first steamer of which we have any account was called the "Ripple" and ascended the Iowa river as far as Iowa City, arriving there on June 20, 1841. This event created great excitement in Iowa City, and a full account of it is given in the Iowa City Standard, of Tuesday, June 24, 1841. On June 21st there was a public meeting of the citizens and a committee was appointed to invite Captain D. Jones of the "Ripple" and his passengers and crew to a public dinner. The dinner was held at the National Hotel and on that occasion addresses were made by Major John B. Newhall, of Burlington, author of "Sketches of "Iowa," and by Captain Jones and some others. The "Ripple" started on this trip from Burlington, on the Mississippi, and, according to Major Newhall, it was the first steamer to navigate the "Iowa Fork." Just what Major Newhall meant by the term Iowa fork is hard to determine. It might be that he meant to distinguish it from the Cedar, and to allow us to infer that the Cedar had been navigated by steamers before that time; but he also said in his speech that the people from every village and cabin from the mouth of the Iowa to Iowa City, were much excited by this voyage made by the "Ripple" and hailed its arrival with loud huzzahs, the firing of rifles and other manifestations. This statement would indicate that the "Ripple" was the first steamer to ascend either the Iowa or the Cedar.

In the Bloomington Herald of August 2, 1844, there is a notice that the "Maid of Iowa" would leave Burlington on the 15th of August and ascend the Cedar river as far as Washington ferry.

The next steamboat item we find is from a document in the office of the Louisa county recorder, from which it appears that the steamboat “Lola," James Sharkey, captain, and James Viets, pilot, on May 8, 1845, in descending the Iowa river at a point about eight or nine miles below Iowa City, ran over a log which was entirely concealed in the water, and that several timbers of the boat were broken and several planks much shattered, causing the steamboat to sink immediately in the Iowa river; that thereupon, in order to save the cargo of said boat, all persons named (and the names of thirteen persons are given in the record) shifted the freight on said boat and got her under way, but by the evening of May 9th said boat was found to be in a sinking condition and the freight was consequently taken from the boat and put on shore.

pg 210

There was considerable activity on the Iowa river in Louisa county, beginning about 1846. In May, 1846, there was a steamboat loaded at Todd's landing, near Columbus City, with produce for Wesley Jones and William D. McCord, of Burlington.

In June, 1847, Joseph L. Derbin had a barge built at Fredonia, which was launched on the 19th of June and loaded with produce for St. Louis. We give herewith the facsimile of a notice posted in Columbus City of date July 13, 1847, concerning a fast sailing horse boat under charge of Captain Wheelock.

In June, 1848, the barge of Joseph A. Luckett was built at Todd's ferry and loaded with produce for the St. Louis market, and a little later in the same year the barge "Lexington" was built at Fredonia. In the same year the steamer "Piasa," owned by Joseph L. Derbin and E. B. Isett, began making trips on the Iowa river as far up as Iowa City, and continued this whenever the stage of the water permitted, up to the spring of 1850. In 1849 the river was quite low and the "Piasa" stuck on a sandbar at Whipple's ferry opposite Fredonia.

The steamboat "Herald" made three trips to Iowa City in 1849, one the latter part of March, and the other two in April. The steamboat "Hawkeye" went to Cedar Rapids in the latter part of March, 1849. The "Hawkeye" again went to Iowa City in 1852.

The "Magnet" went to Iowa City in April, 1850, at a time when the "Piasa" was also there. At the time of the great flood of the Iowa in 1851, steamboats could not land at Todd's ferry, but their landing place for Columbus City trade was at David Flack's landing.

In the spring and summer of 1851 the following steamers appear to have navigated the Iowa, most of them as far as Iowa City: The "Daniel Hillman," Arnold, captain; the "Archer," Rogers, master; the "Uncle Toby," Clark, master.

Early in June occurred the unprecedented flood in the Iowa river, when it reached the highest point known. About this time the "Uncle Toby" took freight from Wapello to Iowa City, and a number of Wapellonians went to Iowa City on this boat on a pleasure trip.

We quote the following articles from the Louisa County Times of April 29. 185I :

"One day last week our citizens were gratified with the sight of several boats laden with flour, etc., on their way toward the Mississippi—they were built and cargoed at Cedar Rapids, in Linn county. Now it does appear strange to us, when flat boats, heavily freighted, can find their way out of one of the tributaries of the Iowa into said rivers and thence to the Mississippi. We cannot be blessed with the sight of a small class steamer at our place every week at least. Why, there is any quantity of freight here just waiting to be shipped, if a boat would only give us a call, and then as we said before, if flat boats heavily freighted can run out, what is to prevent small steamers from plying regularly between here and Burlington, or some other point on the Mississippi? The river at this time is about its lowest stage, and yet these boats appeared to get along without much trouble."

The Louisa County Times of April 6, 1852, announced that the fine new steamer "Black Hawk" rounded to last Saturday on her way to Iowa City, and the same paper under date of May 11, 1852, has the following item: "Nearly every day a steamboat touches the wharf at the foot of what is called Gawky street,—rather a pretty place by the way. though so oddly named."

Photo of Horse Boat Notice.

pg 211

In May, 1852, the steam packet "Yankee" was making trips up the Iowa and Cedar rivers. The boat was under command of Captain Lavielle. It appears from a communication in the Louisa County Times of June 1, 1852, written by B. F. Wright, who had recently taken a trip on this boat up to Cedar Rapids and back, that the trip from Wapello began on the morning of May 13th and that the boat arrived at Cedar Rapids on the evening of May 20th, having encountered a strong wind and had to lay up the previous night on account of the fog. The article also states that the boat left Cedar Rapids at 12 o'clock M. on the 21st of May, and a little further on states that it arrived at Wapello about 12 o'clock M. on the 21st. This latter date is, of course, a misprint, but we have no means of knowing the exact length of this trip.

We copy the following article from the Louisa County Times of May 17, 1853:

"The 'Dan Hillman' and 'Excel,' two steamboats of character, have been plying with remarkable success in the Iowa and Cedar rivers. The 'Dan Hillman' was reported sunk in Cedar river, but it turns out to be a hoax, as she passed here in fine style yesterday morning, and, it appears, has been making money by maneuvering in Cedar river. The 'Excel' went up on Sunday evening, bound for Iowa City, loaded to her guards. She is some at running, sure. We have never seen a boat in the Iowa stem the rapid current opposite this place with such power and speed. She has made the quickest trip 'on record' from this place to Iowa City, leaving here on Tuesday morning, and returned on Thursday, meanwhile discharging and receiving a large amount of freight and laying by, from accident, four hours.''

The "Dan Hillman" made several trips from St. Louis to the forks of the Iowa and Cedar rivers in 1853. On one of these trips she had a full cargo of general merchandise for Philip Gore and Colonel W. W. Garner, the two leading merchants of Columbus City. Colonel Garner's part of the cargo consisted of iron, stoves, nails and furniture.

May 30, 1854, the Iowa was said to be in good condition for boating and the little steamer "Berlin" landed at Wapello on a Friday, bound for Cedar Rapids.

In 1859 the steamer "Cedar Rapids" was making trips to and from that city. This is one of the boats referred to in the article of Mr. Thomas, which is given at the conclusion of this chapter.

We find from the Wapello Republican that in the spring of 1861 the steamers "Orion," "Black Hawk" and "Eureka" were arriving at and departing from Wapello occasionally.

The Republican of April 24, 1862, notes that on Sunday "the fine little steamer 'Gen. Halleck' arrived at our landing, bringing a quantity of freight for Messrs. M. P. Vanloon and O. Robinson, merchants of this city. On Monday she received a load of freight and left for Burlington."

The same paper for May 1, 1862, chronicles the arrival of the "Forest Queen" on Monday evening, April 28th, and states that after receiving a quantity of freight from Messrs. Herrick & Davison, she departed the next day for St. Louis.

About this time the Iowa river was within a few inches of as high as it had been in 1851, and Long creek was so high that at one time no mail was carried across it for five or six days.

pg 212

Another steamer that was navigating the Iowa about this same time was called the "Catawba," Captain Root.

The next item we find in the Republican is of date August 8, 1865, and states that the little steamer "Turtle" has been making frequent trips recently, principally loaded with lumber for the lumber yard of Mr. Semple.

In August, 1866, the "Iowa City" was making two trips a week between Wapello and Burlington. Captain Reninger was her commander, and the cabin passengers' fare to Burlington and return was $4; deck passengers, $2. It is said that on one of its trips from Burlington two Burlington grain buyers boarded the "Iowa City" to buy a lot of wheat that was known to be at the Wapello mill. This was in September, 1866. Just as the boat was about to start one of the grain buyers went ashore, remarking so that the other could hear him, that it was not worth while for both of them to go. However, he had no intention of leaving the field to the other man, but got a horse and beat the boat to Wapello, and bought the wheat.

At this time a number of railroad bridges had been built across the Iowa and Cedar rivers, and railroad transportation had in a great measure taken the place of river transportation, and the people were beginning to want to erect wagon bridges across the river.

On April 10, 1868. Congressman Loughridge, of Iowa, introduced a bill in the house of representatives declaring the Iowa river not navigable above Wapello.

Just previous to this a resolution had been offered in the senate of the Iowa legislature, asking congress to take such action. This resolution was favorably reported by the senate committee on commerce, and our Louisa county senator, Dr. James M. Robertson, was favorable to it; Senator Fairall, of Iowa City, was opposed to it, and desired to substitute Iowa City in place of Wapello.

On April 2d, 1868, the legislature adopted a memorial and joint resolution asking congress to declare the Iowa river unnavigable from the city of Wapello north, and on May 6, 1870, an act of congress was approved, which provided that so much of the Iowa river in the state of Iowa as lies north of the town of Wapello shall be declared not a navigable river or public highway.

We will state in this connection, although a little out of its regular order, that in August, 1894, a provision was inserted in the river and harbor bill which provided that "so much of the Iowa river within the state of Iowa as lies between the town of Toolsboro and the town of Wapello in the county of Louisa, shall not be deemed a navigable river or public highway, but dams and bridges may be constructed across it."

In 1868, the "Gussy Girdon," owned by Harris brothers of Burlington, with Ed. Thomas at the wheel, made frequent trips between Burlington and Wapello.

In 1869 the only boats which we have any account of were the "Swallow" and the "Lily." It seems that in July, 1869, the "Swallow" carried to Pittsburg Point some fifteen tons of iron to use in laying the track of the B. C. R. & M. railroad in the long cut near that town. The "Lily" seems to have been run by Ed. Thomas on his own hook and she made trips from Wapello to any point on the Mississippi river where it could be made to pay. The steamer "Swallow" is designated as being from Oquawka, a side wheeler, drawing fifteen inches of water when running light and having a freighting capacity of 500 sacks of grain.

According to the Wapello Republican the "Swallow" had a great deal to do during the spring of 1869.

pg 213

A large stern wheeler, "Try Us," with Ed Thomas as pilot, came up the Iowa river on May 25th as far as Florence and laid up there because Mr. Thomas did not believe she could get over the sandbars just below Wapello. The large barge was sent up to Wapello after a load of high wines from the Wapello distillery.

We conclude this chapter with an article written by Edward H. Thomas, who was for many years a pilot. Mr. Thomas is a namesake of Edward H. Thomas, one of the pioneer lawyers of the county, and was a son of William H. R. Thomas, whose name figures quite prominently in the early history of the county. Mr. Thomas was also a gallant soldier in the Nineteenth Iowa. Many of the older residents of the county will remember Mr. Thomas and his charming sister, Miss Lou Thomas, and will be glad to know that both are still living in Ottumwa, where Mr. Thomas has charge of the postoffice at South Ottumwa.

NAVIGATING THE IOWA AND CEDAR RIVERS.
By E. H. Thomas

I have been requested to furnish some information for the history of Louisa county, in reference to navigation on the Iowa and Cedar rivers. I have no data from which to work, and what I shall say shall be entirely from memory. If some errors are made they will have to be overlooked. As I was born on the west bank of the Iowa river, about six miles below Fredonia, nearly seventy years ago, and later on lived in Wapello up to 1870, I remember many of the boats which navigated these two streams during the late '40s and for many years thereafter.

The settlement of the Iowa and Cedar river valleys commenced about 1836. People from the east came in there, farmers and merchants. Towns were started here and there and the farmers commenced the cultivation of the soil. The land was very productive. The early farmers brought but little money with them and the merchants who furnished them with supplies were compelled to take their pay in grain and pork. The nearest market was St. Louis. The merchants bought their groceries there and their dry goods in Cincinnati. As the land was brought under cultivation, the merchants became loaded with the products of the farm. They purchased the stuff cheap enough—corn at ten cents per bushel and pork about a dollar and a half per hundred,—but what to do with it was the knotty problem for the merchants.

At Wapello, the Isett brothers, Mark Davison and J. C. Lockwood erected large warehouses and packing houses near the river, in which to store the grain and pork. Such storehouses were built at other towns along the two rivers. During the '40s there were but few steamboats on the Upper Mississippi, and they could not be induced to navigate the Iowa and Cedar.

I believe it was Captain Joe Luckett, of Toddtown, who conceived the idea of building and operating a fleet of barges to St. Louis. In those days they were called "keel boats." A company was organized, five or six of the barges were built and the people of the valleys. had their first communication with the markets of the country. This was about the close of the Mexican war and I remember that the boats were named after the heroes of that conflict,—the General Scott. General Taylor, General Wadsworth, etc.

pg 214

Loaded with grain and pork and handled with oars, the boats were floated to St. Louis. There they were reloaded with goods for the merchants and towed back by steamboat to the mouth of the Iowa river. Here was where the laborious work commenced. It required eight men, four on a side, with polls, to push a barge up against the current of the river. Where a very swift place was encountered, a line was taken ahead and made fast, and the boat was then pulled up stream along the shore. The barge line was in successful operation for several years, but as the lands of the Upper Mississippi valley were brought under cultivation, it soon caused a surplus in the St. Louis market and prices went off. About this time corn sold as low as eight cents per bushel and pork at a dollar and a quarter. The owners of the fleet of boats discovered that their margin of profit was too small, that the expense account of the boats was taking it all. Some cheaper and quicker method must be devised to get this stuff to St. Louis.

The next proposition was to purchase a steamboat which would carry a cargo and tow the barges. A Captain Durbin, who had experience on the water, was sent to the Ohio river and there purchased a steamboat called the Piasa, and brought her to Wapello. The arrival of the boat was the greatest event of the '50s, not excepting the big barbecue and the breaking of dirt for the Philadelphia, Fort Wayne, Platte River, San Francisco Air Line Railroad. Crowds followed the Piasa on both banks of the river, and at every landing her docks were loaded with the natives. Had the Piasa been provided with sufficient power, it might have been a paying proposition, but she was slower than a yoke of cattle. She would often consume three weeks' time in making a round trip to St. Louis. The shippers soon found that this was also a losing proposition and the Piasa and some of the barges were sold. One of the barges, the General Wadsworth, now lies buried deep down in the sand just below Wapello.

However, the Piasa did one thing. She demonstrated that the Iowa and Cedar rivers could be navigated by a steamboat. So in the early '50s the Mississippi steamers came into the trade and navigated the two streams up to about 1869. Among the boats running during the '50s, I remember the Kentucky, Uncle Toby, John Bell, Cedar Rapids, Adelia, Magnet, Eureka, Time and Tide, and there were others whose names I cannot recall. After the Civil war came the Young Eagle, Iowa City, T. P. Benton, Annie Gordon, Red Bird, and others.

There were two of these steamers which were built expressly for the Iowa and Cedar river trade—the Cedar Rapids and the Iowa City. Somewhere in the '50s, before the railroads invaded that section of the country, there came to the then small town of Cedar Rapids, a widow, and she brought some money with her. Her husband had made a fortune in operating steamboats on the Ohio river. She told the people of Cedar Rapids that the one thing needed to bring them prosperity was water transportation to and from the markets of the country; in other words, a steamboat which would make regular trips to and from St. Louis. They agreed with her and she at once went back to the Ohio river, had the steamer built and named it after the town in which she had lived on the beautiful Cedar river. In a short time the Cedar Rapids came steaming up the Iowa. The lady, whose name I have forgotten, was not only ...

pg 215

... the owner of the boat, but the captain of it. She was a large, fine looking woman, had an easy and rapid flow of language, and under her direction the crew of men was kept on the move. In fact, her word was the law on the steamboat Cedar Rapids.

The Cedar Rapids was a stern wheel, had good power and a cabin the full length of her, but she was too large for the Iowa and Cedar rivers and an ugly brute to handle. She would very frequently run away with the pilot and go into the bank and the woods. However, the "Rapids," as we called her, did a paying passenger and freight business for some time. Her steering gear finally put her out of business. On one of her trips to St. Louis she had a collision with the Lucy May. It was a dark night and the wind was blowing. As the "Rapids" approached the ascending boat, the pilot lost control of her and she went into the Lucy May, head on. The "Rapids" had a good heavy, hull and was but slightly injured but the Lucy May, with her cargo, went to the bottom of the Mississippi river. When the Cedar Rapids hit the levee at St. Louis, she was attached and sold to pay for the Lucy May and her cargo, which was a total loss. Some passengers on the Lucy May were drowned, and the pilot of the "Rapids" and other officers were jailed on a charge of manslaughter. The widow, after this experience, went out of the transportation business.

As I see it, the Iowa City was the only boat ever in the trade which fit the two rivers. She had good power, built for fifty passengers, and when light her draft was but twenty inches. She towed two barges, and with four feet of water in the rivers, the three boats loaded to three and a half feet, carried five thousand sacks of corn. She did a good business there for nearly four seasons, or until the building of the Burlington & Cedar Rapids railroad put her out of the trade. In other words, as on the Mississippi, the shippers abandoned the cheaper method of transportation and sent all of their stuff by rail, which I regard as a serious mistake. People who live along the shore of a river which can be navigated for even a portion of the year, should use it. Water transportation is the cheapest method known and the operation of boats to and from river points largely reduces the freight rates by rail.

---