Peoria County, Illinois - Early Navigation of Western Rivers, 1880

Early Navigation of Western Rivers

Navigation of the Mississippi by the Early Explorers - Flat-boats - Barges - Methods of Propulsion - Brigs and Schooners - The First Steamboat on Western Waters - The "Orleans" - The "Comet" - The "Enterprise" - Capt. Shrcvc - The "Washington" - The "General Pike" - First Steamboat to Si. Louis - The Independence" the First Steamboat on the Missouri - Capt. Nelson - "Mackinaw boats" - Navigation un the Upper Mississippi - The "Virginia" - The " Shamrock " - Capt. James May - Navigation on the Upper Missouri - Steamboating on the Smaller Rivers.

We have accounts of the navigation of the Mississippi river as early as l.')39, by De Soto, while in search of the " fountain of youth." His voyage ended with his life, and more than a hundred years passed away, when Marquette and Joliet again disturbed its with a small bark transported from the shores of Lake Superior. At the mouth of the Wisconsin they entered the Mississippi, and extended their voyage to the mouth of the Arkansas. Their account is the fust which gave to tiie world any accurate knowledge of the great valley of the Mississippi river. Their perilous voyage was made in the Summer of 1673. The account was read with avidity by tiie missionaries and othei-s about Lake Superior, and soon after a young Frenchman named La Salle set out with a view of jidding further information in relation to the wonderful valley of the great river. His expedition was followed by other voyages of exi>loration on western rivers, but the narratives of the explorers are mostly lost, so that very little of interest remains from the voyage of La Salle to the latter part of the eighteenth century, when the French, then holding Fort Du Quesne, contemplated the establishment of a line of forts which would e.iable them to retain possession of the vast territory northwest of the Ohio river. Regular navigation of the Ohio and Mississippi, however, was not attempted until after tiie P.evolution. when the United States had assumed control of the western waters. Trade with New Orleans did not begin until near the close of the century. A few flat boats were employed in the trade between Pittsburg and the new settlements along the Ohio r'ver. The settlement of Kentucky gradually increased the trade on the Oiiio, and caused a demand for increased facilities for conveyance of freight. Boatmen soon found it j)rofitable to extend their voyages to the Spanish settlements in the South. Freight and pas- B'jngers were conveyed in a species of l>oat wiiich was sometimes called a barge, or harden by tiie French. It was usually from ?;"> to 100 feet long, with breadth of l>eam from !;"> to 20 feet, and a capacity of GO to 100 tons. The freight was received in a large covered coffer, occupying a i)ortion of the hulk. Near the stern was an apartment six or eight (eet in length, called "the cai)in," where the cai)tain and other officials of the boat tjuartered at night. The helmsman was stationed upon an elevation above the level of the deck. The barge usually carricii one or two masts. .\ iaige square sail forward, wiieii the wind was favorable, sometimes much relieved the hands. The work of propelling the barges usually required about fifty men to each boat. There were several modes of propelling the barges. At times all were engaged in rowing, which was often a waste of l.ilior on such a stream ius the Mississippi. Sometimes the navigators resorted to the use of the cordelle, a strong rope or hawser, attached to the barge, and carried along the r.hore or l)each on the shoulders of the crew. In some jtlaces this method was impracticable on account of obstructions along the shores. Then what was known as the "warping" process was resorted to. A coil of rope wa.'-. sent out in the yawl, and fastened to a tree on the sliore, or a " snag" in the river. While liie hands on board were pulling up to this point, another coil was carried further ahead, and the " warping " process repeated.

The Northwest Territory

Sometimes it was expedient to use setting poles, but this method was used chiefly in tlie Oiiio. During a period of about twenty-five years, up to 1811, tlie mode of convevanee on our western rivers was by flat-boats and l)arges. It required tliree or four montiis Ic make a trip from Pittsburg to New Orleans. Passengers between these points we:e charged from 'SI^.d to $150, and freight ranged from $'> to $7 per 100 pounds. It can not be supposed that under such circumstances, the commerce of the West was very extensive.

Previous to the introduction of steamers on western waters, attempts were made to use brigs and schooners. In 1803 several ships were built on the Ohio, and in ISO-") the shijj "Scott" was built on the Kentucky river, and in the Fall of that 3'ear made her first trip to the falls of the Ohio. While there two other vessels, built by Berthone & Co., arrived. All of them were compelled to remain three months, awaiting a suflicient rise in the river to carry them over the falls. In 1807 Mr. Dean built and launched a vessel at Pittsburg. This vessel made a trip to Leghorn, and when making her entry at the custom house there, her papers were objected to on the ground that no such port as Pittsburg existed in the United States. The captain called the attention of the oSic^r to the Mississippi river, traced it to its confluence with the Ohio, tiience following tjjo latter stream past Cincinnati and Marietta, to the new city in the wilderness, more than two thousand miles by tvater from tiie Gulf of Mexico! All these vessels were found inadequate for the purpose of trading on the western rivers, and were soon abandoned. They could not stem the current of the Mississippi. They were transferred to tiie gulf, and the commerce of the rivers was abandoned to Mike Fink and his followers, remaining with them until 1811. In this year Fulton and Livingston opened a ship -yard at Pittsburg, and built the small propeller " Orleans," which was also furnished with two masts. She was a boat of one hundred tons burthen, and the first steamer that was launched on western waters. In the Whiter of 1812 slie made her first trip to New Orleans in fourteen days. As slie passed down the river the settlers lined the banki, and the greatest excitement prevailed. The flat-boatmen said she never could stem the current on her upward trip. After iier first trip, the " Orleans " engaged in the Natche/. and New Orleans trade, and paid her owners a handsome profit on their investment. Tlie next steamer was the " Comet," and she was built by D. French. She carried but twenty -five tons, and made her first trip to New Orleans in the Spring of 1814, Soo.u after she was taken to jjieces, and lier engines used in a cotton factoiy. The "' Vesuvius," of forty- eight tons burthen, was launched at Fulton's ship -yard in the Spring of Ibll, made a trip to New Orleans, and on her return was grounded on a sand bar, where she remained until the next December. This boat remained on the river until 1819, when she was condemned. The " Enterprise '' was the fourth steamboat, and was built by Mr. French, who built the " Comet." The " Enterprise " carried seventy -five tons, and made her first trip to New Orleans in the Summer of 1814. When she arrived at her destination she was pressed into the service of the army, under Gen. Jackson, then at New Orleans. She was ver}- efficient in carrying troops and army supplies from the city to the seat of war, a few miles below. During the battle of the 8th of January she was busily engaged in supplying the wants of Jackson's army. On the 5th of May following she left New Orleans, and arrived at Louisville in twenty -five davs.

In 1816 Captain Henry Shreve built the " Washington " with many improvements in construction. Tiie boilers, which had hitherto been placed in the hold, were changed by Captain Shreve to the deck. In September, 1816, the " Washington " successfully passed the falls of the Ohio, made her trip to New Orleans, and returned in Novembei to Louisville. On the 12th of March. 1817, she started on her second trip to New Orleans, the ice then running in the Ohio slightly retarding her progress. She made tho trip successfully, and returned to the foot of the falls in forty -one days - the upward trip being made in twenty - five days. By this time it was generally conceded by the flat -boatmen that Fitch and Fulton were not visionary fools, but men of genius, and that their inventions could be turned to immense advantage on the rivers of the West. Steamboats from this time on rapidly multiplied, and tlie occupation of the old flatboatman began to pa^s away. On Captain Shreve's return to Louisville the citizens gave him a public reception. Toasts and si)eeches were made, and the " Washington " declared to be the herald of a new era in the West. Captain Shreve in his speech asserted that the time would come when the trip to Orleans would be made in ten days. His prediction was more than verified, for as early as 1853, the trip was made in four days and nine hours.

While these festivities were going on in Louisville, the "General Pike " was stemming tlie current of the Mississippi for a new port in steamboat navigation. With a heavy load of freight and passengers she left New Orleans for St. Louis. On her arrival at the latter city several thousand people greeted her as she slowly approached the landing.

Steam navigation commenced on the Missouri in 1819, the first boat being the " Independent," commanded by Captain Nelson. She ascended as far as Chariton and Franklin, at which points she received a cargo of furs and buffalo hides, and returned with tiiem to St. Louis.

In 1816 Fort Armstrong was erected at the lower end of Rock Island. On the 10th of May of tliis year Col. Lawrence, with the Eighth Regiment and a company of riflemen, arrived here in keel boats. Col. George Davenport resided near the fort and supplied the troops with provisions, and also engaged in trading with the Indians. Most of his goods were brouglit from -' Mackinaw " through Green Bay, thence up Fox river to the " Portage," where tiiey were packed across to the Wisconsin river, and carried down the Mississippi in what were called " Mackinaw Boats." The navigation of the upper Mississippi was confined to keel-boats until 1823. when the first steamboat - the " Virginia" - from Wheeling, ascended with provisions to Prairie du Chien. This boat was three or four days in passing the rapids at Rock Island. After this, up to 1827, steamboats continued to ascend the upper Mississippi occasionally with troops and military stores. In this year Capt. James May, of the steamboat '"Sliamrock," made llie firet vo3'age with her from Pittsburg to Galena. This was the first general business trip ever made on the upper Mississippi b}' a steamboat. Capt. May continued as master of a steamboat on this part of the river until 1834.

Tiie first navigation of any considerable portion of the Missouri river was that of Captains Lewis and Clarke, when in 1804 they ascended tliat river in keel-boats, or barges, from its mouth almost to its source. Of late years steamboats have navigated it regularly to Fort Benton. Steamboat navigation lias also been employed on many of the smaller rivers of the West, including the Des Moines and Cedar rivers in Iowa. The introduction of railroads has superseded the necessity of depending upon the uncertain navigation of tiie smaller rivers for carrying purposes. Tlie great water-courses, however, will doubtless always remain the indispensable commercial highways of the nation.