of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 84-85
RACING ON THE MISSISSIPPI IN EARLY TIMES. We are indebted to the Journal of July 5, 1867, for the following: "About eight o'clock last evening great interest was excited by the almost simultaneous appearance around the 'towhead' below the city of two steamers, which proved to be the Phil Sheridan and Hawkeye State, and which it had been announced were to start out of St. Louis together. The Sheridan was a short distance in advance and landed at this place, while her rival passed on. By the officers of the Sheridan we have been furnished the following memoranda of the trip: 'Left St. Louis at 4:58. Hawkeye left at 4:05; Belle of Pike (Illinois river boat), 4:20; Lucy Bertram, 4:24. Passed the Lucy Bertram below Grafton, Belle of Pike at Grafton Landing. First came in view of the Hawkeye below Hannibal, nearly reached her at Keithsburg, parted with her to land at New Boston, she leading us about a mile at 7:20. At 7:50 lapped her again, and after a desperate and dangerous resistance on her part, passed her at 8:15. Muscatine is our twelfth landing and Hawkeye the sixth as far as we know. This race promises to be a hotly contested one and the result will be anxiously awaited."
W. G. Block, steamboat agent, son of the late Marx Block, says this race was from St. Louis to St. Paul, between the Phil Sheridan and the Sucker State, the Phil Sheridan being a Northwestern packet and the Sucker State of the Northern Line Company. He says the Phil Sheridan was the fastest boat and had a long pointed bow, while the Sucker State had a bluff bow, but in spite of this the Sucker State got to St. Paul first, as Captain Hight of the Sucker State took the chances of running the Rock Island rapids at night, which was considered very hazardous then, with its sunken rocks and no government lights, as now. The Phil Sheridan laid up at Davenport until daylight, as all other boats were then in the habit of doing, her officers never supposing the Sucker State would go through after dark. In this way the Sucker State beat the Phil Sheridan to St. Paul.
The Sucker State on April 1, 1864, landed at Muscatine with the Sixteenth Iowa Infantry on board. Some of the veterans were on leave of absence from the front and others had finished their terms of service. At the time of their arrival the soldiers were feasted and feted to their hearts' content by the loyal and patriotic citizens of Muscatine, who had made great preparation for their reception.
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