Biographical and historical memoirs of Muskingum County, Ohio. Embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the county and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy families and individuals, Part 16

Author:
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 642

USA > Ohio > Muskingum County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Muskingum County, Ohio. Embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the county and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy families and individuals > Part 16

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sized and Yankee was drowned. Dudley Davis

The canoe and pirogue were used by farmers of Cat's creek, Tiff and Ross Nott, Ab and along the Muskingum river at Big Bottom and Hark Boyd, Paul, Alexander and George Hahn Round Bottom, for carrying their fruit (apples, were among the most prominent keel-boatmen. pears and peaches) and watermelons to the The large covered flat-boat was the great Zanesville market. A number of them could boat for carrying flour, apples, potatoes, stone- could be seen in the fruit season at the landing ware and other produce and manufactures for almost every day.

the Ohio and Mississippi river trade. As soon

The flat boat was used for the salt trade, as there was water enough in the river in and sometimes to carry farmers' produce to the autumn, these boats were leaving the towns on market. Before the era of steamboating, nearly the Muskingum river for the lower trade, as it all the salt from the many salt works along the was then called. Generally old keel-boatmen Muskingum river was carried to market on flat were captains and pilots of these boats. There boats. Nearly every salt works had a flat boat was a space for cooking and a living room. All that would carry from ten to fifty tous of salt. other space was packed with the load. They Without flat boats there would have been much frequently carried from six hundred to one trouble and expense of teaming the salt to the thousand barrels of flour. They had large Zanesville trade.

oars -sweeps they were called- to assist in

The keelboats made trips to Wheeling and propelling and steering the boat. The crew Pittsburg, carrying articles to be teamed from enjoyed the trip. On every trip there was a

HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

"tender-foot," as a young man's education was the 'Putnam' would go up to Zanesville on the not considered complete until he had made a third day after that time, as the boat had trip to New Orleans. Billy Scales made many passengers for Pittsburg, as well as freight. trips to the Crescent city and he returned three The boat returned and was full and more, times on foot, crossing through the Cherokee too. The charge for the round trip was $5 tribe of Indians, who then had their home in The floors on both cabins were full of beds at Mississippi and Tennessee. He carried the night, and some had no place to sleep and money for his load of produce in a sack, and kept up and went on shore after the boat he was never molested. Often a small fleet of arrived at Zanesville. We started early in the Muskingum river boats were in company. A morning and fired the first gun (a cannon Mr. Jones, of McConnelsville, was an experi- about two feet long and four-inch bore). enced flatboat pilot.

Every hour the cannon boomed, all the way

In 1811, the first steamboat the "Orleans," up to Zanesville. The people along the banks passed down the Ohio, causing as much as- followed for miles, cheering and showing their tonishment along the shore as did the first appreciation of seeing a steamboat that could steamer on the Muskingum river fourteen stem the rapid current of the river, but our years later. The "Rufus Putnam," commanded boat made only three or a little more than that by Captain Green was the first steamboat to many miles per hour. Most of our passengers make the attempt to navigate the Muskingum were young ladies and gentlemen, and a few river as far as Zanesville. It had been sup- old folks to look after the young ones. The posed to be impossible for a steamboat to boat was very cranky and it required constant ascend the river, owing to the rapidity of the vigilance on the part of the captain and mate stream and its crookedness when there was to keep the boat on an even keel. Mrs. Holden sufficient water, and the uncertainty of its was a stout, fleshy lady, and at the word, 'trim remaining long enough at a high stage to make boat,' the question was, 'Where is Mrs. a trip from Marietta to Zanesville and return. Holden?' and it was a jollification all the way Captain Burch, an old keel boatman, was the up; and there were many matrimonial engage- first man who demonstrated it could be done ments made on that trip. When we came in sight of Zanesville the cannon in the city fired

with safety.

The surprise of people along the shore was constantly, I think, all night. We anchored long remembered by them. the boat in the stream, as the captain was

The surprise was great at Zanesville, for it afraid the crowd would turn her over. The was demonstrated a boat, a steamboat, had next day, a public dinner was given in honor arrived from Marietta. The whole town was of the occasion, and a committee waited on in an excitement. Citizens ran to and fro in father, soliciting him to give an excursion confusion, and the excitement was great, wav- down a few miles to allow them to ride on a ing their hands and shouting. The officers of steamboat. Father offered to give them a free the boat and the passengers were sumptuously ride, but the committee would not have it so, entertained. On her return trip the people as they contended the boat would be full and flocked to the banks of the river from the no ladies could go. It was settled the charge country. The following account of this memor- was to be $I for each passenger. They made able happening is from the pen of Alonzo the trip down ten miles, and a crowd was on Green, of Oakland, California, who was a pas- board and hundreds were left when the boat senger on the "Putnam."-"About the trip of the was full.

"He started for Marietta the next day and

'Putnam' to Zanesville; my father had been running the keel boats, carrying merchandise made the run down in six hours. The banks from Pittsburg, Pa., to Zanesville. I had hold were lined with people who had come from the of his hand, looking at a steamboat coming back country to see the boat go by, but none down the Ohio. She turned into the Musk- were able to follow. I think there were four ingum and ran up to the mill on the Point children on board -Miss Maria and Miss Harmer side to take in flour. Father snapped Julia Holden, Richard Green (son of Daniel), his fingers, and said aloud, 'I will sell my keel and myself. Any one living at this time is boats,' and it must have been two years before certainly eighty years of age, or near that." he started the 'Putnam.' Some of his old con- The "Speedwell" of Pittsburg, fired off signees in Zanesville wrote him they wanted her howitzer early one morning in the spring him to make a trip to their city. The boat of 1827. The shrill whistle or the hoarse came from Louisville, and the Muskingum was sounding horn was then unknown. The " Red high and rising. The citizens were notified Rover," in the spring of 1828, made several

HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

trips from Pittsburg to Zanesville during the of the canal from Cleveland to Portsmouth, spring and summer freshets. Other boats made which was commenced in 1825. trips on the Muskingum, but steamboating on The completion of the Ohio canal aroused the Muskingum was not a regular business un- the citizens in the Muskingum valley to the im- til the completion of the dams and locks, in portance of slack navigation on the Muskin- 1842. Gen. C. C. Goddard made a quick trip gum river. In 1827 a commission of three was from Zanesville to Marietta on the Putnum, appointed, one from each of the counties, to only being six hours on the trip. Only one assist an engineer in making a survey of the stop was made and that for a few minutes at river and estimate the cost of improving the McConnelsville.

channel. Thomas Wickham, of Muskingum,

From the time of the first settlement west Samuel A. Barker, of Morgan, and W. R. Put- of the Ohio river, until the opening of the nam, of Washington county, were the commis- canals, all goods for the West had to be carried sioners. Their salary was fixed at $1.50 per on pack-horses or hauled on wagons from the day, which was to be paid by the three counties. Eastern cities, crossing the mountains, first on If the survey was ever made, no record is now rough roads, afterward on the turnpikes to to be found of it.

Pittsburg or Wheeling, for the Ohio trade.

In the winter of 1835 and 1836 there was an When the Ohio and Muskingum rivers were epidemic in Ohio, as well as in other States, of frozen, or the water too low for boating, many internal improvement, which was evolved at teams were required to haul the freight on that session for improving the Muskingum large wagons, called Pennsylvania schooners, river by dams, locks and short canals from usually six horses hitched to each wagon. Marietta to Dresden, a distance of ninety miles. These teams were used until the completion of An appropriation of $400,000 was made. This the Muskingum river improvement, in 1842. sum was deemed sufficient for a commence- The old four-horse stage coach used to come ment of the work. The primary plan was for down Main street, Zanesville, at rapid rate of locks of the same size as that at the terminus speed causing all wagons to take the sides of of the Ohio canal at Dresden, viz., 120X22 feet, the street and pedestrians to look out for them- only admitting of the size of boats used on the selves. The arrival of the coaches from Ohio canal, but the commissioners discovered Wheeling, Columbus and Maysville and their that the law required them to build locks large departure, was an every-day occurence, but enough to admit steamboats used in navigating the event would always gather a crowd of idle the upper Ohio river. A change was made in spectators.

the plan, to 100X34 feet, which was considered

Col. Orndoff and Capt. William Terry, the large enough for the trade Complaint was officials of the stage line, were both quite made about the size of the locks, and a careful popular with the traveling public. The colonel measurement was made of thirty boats on the was the inventor of the famous "Hagerstown upper Ohio, when it was found that only three sausage."

of them could pass locks of the size, while all

The wayside inn did a flourishing business. of them, excepting four, could pass a lock The wagon taverns in the night presented the 175x36 feet. The change in the plan was not appearance often of a part of a military en- made for some time, the southern end of the campment. The horses were fed in a long river being opposed to increasing the size of trough, fastened to the wagon tongue. The the locks, while Morgan and Muskingum teamsters furnished their own beds, which were counties favored the larger locks, which were spread on the floor of the inn during the night. finally adopted by the commissioners of public These were the prosperous days for the villages works. on the pikes running east and West. As the

The canal commissioners contracted for the country improved, wise men began to estimate work in October, 1836. William Wall, acting the advantages of building canals from Phila- commissioner, and David Bates, chief engineer, delphia and New York City, to secure the trade advertised for the work. When the magnitude of the rapidly-improving "great West." De of the work that was to be done is considered, Witt Clinton is said to be the father of the the responsibility of the commission in letting Lake Erie and Hudson canal. New York at such jobs was very great for that age of im- that time viewed with alarm the trade that was provements. going to Philadelphia and Baltimore, hence the George W. Manypenny secured the contract building of the canal to turn the trade to New for building the dam at Zanesville and Josiah York. Clinton visited Ohio in 1823 or 1824, for Spaulding the lock there; Hosmer, Chapin & the purpose of arousing public opinion in favor Sharp, the dam at Taylorsville and Lon, Bucky

HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

& Wolf the lock at the same place; Arthur Windsor; Luke Chute made no attempt to build Taggart the lock and dam at Rokeby or Eagle- a city or anything except a small building for port; Hosmer, Chapin & Sharp the lock and the lock-tender. Beverly caught the "boom," dam at McConnelsville; Arthur Taggart the and Lowell was to be the great city, hence its lock and dam at Windsor; Lyon, Buck & name. These places all claimed great "natural Wolf the dam at Luke Chute; John McCune, advantages," but they have seen other localities the canal and dam at Beverly, and Arthur improve in advance of them and their great Taggart the lock at Beverly; Lyon, Buck & expectations are not yet realized. When the Wolf the lock at Lowell; Arthur Taggart, bill for the Muskingum improvement from the lock and dam at Devols; Hosmer, Chapin Dresden to Marietta, was finally settled, the & Sharp the lock and dam at Marietta. Col. ninety miles cost the state $1,627,018.20, an Samuel R. Curtis acted as supervisor and chief average of $17,879.32 per mile.

engineer of the work the first two years. The The first steamboats in the regular trade on assistant engineers were: Charles Hill, Senior; the Muskingum river were built at Zanesville assistant; W. L. Coffenberry, J. T. Arthur, John before the completion of the improvement, and Burwell, Joseph Stibbs, J. R. Straughn, James some of them were engaged in the trade to Welsh and M. Love, junior assistants. Many Dresden. The canal boats from Cleveland other engineers were employed at the same with their cargoes were brought to Zanesville, works as assistants. Among them, Fred Hay- towed by the small steamers in that trade. ward, now of McConnelsville, was employed Large quantities of flour and salt were shipped at Lowell. Hon. John Sherman, now United on canal boats for the trade along the canal, States Senator, was one of Hayward's rodmen. and much of the flour was sent to New York.

The locks are located as follows: Dresden, "The Hope," built by Capt. Reeves, is rep- Simms' Creek, Zanesville, Taylorsville, Eagles- resented as the first steamboat built at Zanes- port, McConnelsville, Windsor, Luke Chute, ville. It was a small craft not equal to some Beverly, Lowell, Devols and Harmers. There of the small pleasure boats that were on the are two locks at Zanesville, and a dam near river a few years ago. The "Tuscarawas," each of the locks named, except at Dresden, Capt. Billy Scales commander, made a trip to where necessity for one is obviated by the Coshocton, during high water. Joseph How- canal flowing into the Muskingum. land was engineer. The " Muskingum Valley,"

During the five years that the work on another of Capt. Scales' boats, was in the Dres- the contracts was being prosecuted, there were den trade. There were also other boats en- flush times along the Muskingum. So many gaged in this trade, the names of the best known large jobs on hand at the same time, only a few being "The Ohio," "McIntire," "Zanesville miles apart, for a distance of seventy-five miles, packet," "Muskingum," "Moxahala" and "Re- made a great demand for labor of all kinds, lief." The last named boat was built for the and sale for timber and farmers' produce. Dresden trade, commanded by Capt. Thompson. During the five years from 1837 to 1842 there It also made a few trips to Pittsburg. The was more money paid out along the Muskin- "Philip Doddridge," of Wellsburg, Va., was gum than any other time, although there has also early in the Muskingum trade. Capt. been more than one million dollars paid out Robert Hazlett was one of the owners of the for repairs and new work since 1842. When "Muskingum," "Moxahala" and the "Relief," the dams were building it was claimed the and he was a commander on the "Muskingum" water-power would be used for manufacturing and "Moxahala."

purposes and the Muskingum valley would be The "Putnam" was built by Capt. Blue on the greatest hive of industries in Ohio. Before the canal bank near Second street. It went to the dams were built James Taylor had a dam New Orleans, and there was engaged in the and a mill at Taylorsville. There was also a Lake Pontchartrain trade. The "Del Norte"

sawmill and woolen factory.

Robert Mc- left the Muskingum for the Rio Grande river, Connell had a dam and mill at McConnels- crossing the Gulf of Mexico. It was com- ville. There were passages for boats about manded by Capt. William Bowen, who had sixty feet wide at the end of these dams which commanded the steamer "Muskingum" in the were used by boats during high water. Boats Pittsburg trade. Capt. Bowen was a partner ascending the river had to pass through locks. of Mr. L. H. Dugan in building the large flour-

A village was laid out at Taylorsville. The ing-mill at Duncan's Falls, now owned by Mr. lots were sold for more money than they would John Miller. He was a brother of Mr. Charles bring since the completion of the public work. Bowen, who was lost when the "Belle Zane" Eaglesport was platted and lots sold; so at sunk, on the Mississippi river. Capt. Bowen

MCINTIRK CHILDREN'S HOME, WANESVILKK.

HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

engaged in trade in Mexico, and was killed by and the boat turned on its side; the boilers the Mexicans before the war with the United rolled into the river. A snag was struck, and States.

the boat was sinking. The roof floated off, There appear to have been a great many with Victor Fell, of Zanesville, on it. He was boats carrying the first steam whistle on the saved. David Hahn, Monroe Ayers and Ohio. Mr. W. W. Little, of Little, Ky., writes another man made a raft of the gang-plank that it was on the Mingo Chief in 1844. A and went ashore, and ran down the shore a dis- veteran river man of Cincinnati is certain that tance and found a yawl, which they took and it was on a boat called the "Revenue," owned made for the boat, and commenced rescuing by Capt. A. Bartlett, of Wheeling; she received the passengers. When the snag was struck and the whistle the year following the great Pitts- the boat careened, there were a number burg fire, in 1844 or 1845. The "Mingo Chief" drowned, and among the number were Mr. and was in the Pittsburg and Zanesville trade.

Mrs. Bowen and their son. The crew of the

The steamer "Julia Dean" was the pioneer boat worked like heroes. The cabin broke in having the first steam horn. It excited the loose from the hull, and floated down the river people more than the first whistle. The "Belle several miles, with human beings clinging on Zane" was built at the California boat yard on the wreck. Mrs. Wyncoop and her son were the Monongahela river. The boat was owned rescued about two miles from the place of the at Zanesville and it was a regular packet in the disaster. Others were taken off as rapidly as Zanesville and Pittsburg trade, capacity 300 the men in the yawl could relieve them. Rob- tons. It made a few trips to Cincinnati and to ert Burns, of Cincinnati, a steamboat engineer, St. Louis. The "Belle Zane" was a fine model froze to death.

Miss Jane Conner was without shoes when and one of the fastest boats at that time. In December, 1845, the boat was loaded at Zanes- taken off the wreck. One of the engineers ville with a miscellaneous cargo, consisting of pulled off his and gave them to her.

flour, empty molasses barrels to be filled on the There were no other Zanesville people lost Louisiana coast with molasses for the Zanes- except the Bowen family. Their bodies were ville wholesale trade. At Marietta there were never found. The passengers and crew that taken aboard 700 turkeys and a large number escaped found shelter in the negro huts on the of chickens for the New Orleans market. shore. About thirty cattle and 600 bushels of corn

The cabin floated as far as Island 74, where were added to the load at Madrid, Mo. The it struck the ground; the people yet clinging cabin was well filled with passengers and the to it were saved. Mr. Wyncoop was rescued at boat had all the load it could carry. The rivers this place. From all obtainable information, were very low and there was slow traveling on eighteen or twenty passengers were lost, but all account of the low stage of water. John Bra- the crew escaped. The citizens of Napoleon, zure, of Cincinnati, was commander, and the which town has itself been washed away by the other officers were Zanesville men, viz .: Clerk, "Father of Waters," had a social, and raised Edward Matthews; mate, Monroe Ayers; en- many things for the unfortunate victims of the gineers, David Hahn and Joseph Howland. wreck. Some of them went to New Orleans, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bowen and son, and Mr. others took passage for home. Mr. and Mrs. and Mrs. Wyncoop and son, were passengers Wyncoop and son went to Vicksburg.

from Zanesville. Mr. Bowen was a prominent

As soon as the Muskingum river improve- citizen then engaged in the grocery trade. ment was ready for steamboats, warehouses were He had represented the county in the Ohio established at Zanesville engaged in the for- legislature. Mr. Wyncoop was also a well- warding and commission business, transferring known citizen. Many friends were at the land- freight from the canal boats, which were towed ing when the boat lines were handed in and a by the steamboats engaged in the Dresden large crowd were at the lock and remained trade, for the steamboats in the Pittsburg and waiting until the boat passed around the bend Cincinnati trade, and also the freight brought below Moxahala.

from the above cities for the towns on the Ohio On the 17th, four sunken boats were seen that canal. The most prominent firm had their had been snagged. The night of the 18th and warehouse at the south end of Fifth street, the morning of the 19th of December the weather building yet occupied for many years. There was very cold, the thermometer was near zero, were other large warehouses near the present and ice was rapidly forming. At two o'clock in location of the Cincinnati & Muskingum Val- the morning, soon after the first watch had left ley freight office. Their trade was principally their places, there came a crash, a heavy shock, by the canal, and salt was a large item in their

HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY

business, for at that time there were many salt guards in front or on the sides of the boat, works engaged in manufacturing along the only heaving raising, as the boat hull completely Muskingum river. Only one of the thirty is at filled the locks. It was a side-wheel boat, the present in active operation.

wheels being in recesses near the stern, leaving

N. W. Graham & Co., were owners of many all available space possible for freight. The canal boats, and their steamboats carried tons cabin was nearly the width of the boat. There of freight from Pittsburg and Cincinnati for the was a "texas" on the main cabin, with a hall towns along the canal. They engaged to and rooms for the officers. At that time the deliver goods from Cincinnati, Philadelphia freight was raised from the hold of boats by a and Pittsburg for any destination either by windlass, using hand power.

boats or wagons, from Zanesville to surround- On the return of the "Enterprise" from ing towns. This firm was one of the most Pittsburg preparation for a trip to Ft. Inde-

enterprising in Zanesville at that time.

pendence or Leavenworth was already made.

The first steam whistle on a Muskingum Young men from the country arrived, getting river boat was on the " May Queen." A num- their outfit ready for a trip across the plains- ber of men were loading a boat at the Buck- their wagons occupying much space on the ingham & Sturges warehouse, now at the boat. The hurricane deck was covered with Putnam end of the Sixth street bridge; they the freight, as well as every available space of heard a noise different from any other noise at the boat. Many families were passengers that time. They stopped their work, listened going to Iowa and other Western states. It and only one person attempted to explain it. was a grand sight when the boat's lines were He said: "My mother was East and she says hauled in preparatory to passing down the they have a thing on the locomotives that canal. There was much hand-shaking and makes a noise by steam, and I think it is one "wishing you a safe journey." The boat at of 'them things' they have on locomotives." last passed out of the lock, turned and headed These men claim the "May Queen" was the down the river amid loud hurrahs. Friends re- first boat that had a whistle on it in this river mained on the lock walls until it passed around trade. She was destroyed by fire at Marietta. the bend in the river. Some of the passengers

The steamer "Newark" was built at Zanes- again returned after years of hardship, poorer ville, by James and Stephen Bishop. It was than when they left Zanesville, others died on engaged in the trade from Zanesville to Pitts- the plains, and a few made fortunes in Califor- burg, and also made trips to Cincinnati. The nia, and remained there. The family of Samuel Newark was an unfortunate steamboat. On a Brown, consisting of sons, daughters and sons- Pittsburgh trip, when nearly opposite Liver- in-law, were among the passengers. Mr

pool, a flue bursted, killing Cris Kassell and Brown's daughter, Mary, whose husband was a Lafayette Hubbell, and badly scalding George Mr. Dutro, died on the trip across the plains. Ross, the engineer. The boat was repaired, John Henderson, who died at Columbus in the and it continued running, having a profitable winter of 1891-92, was second mate on the boat. business in the Pittsburg trade, when the own- He had a money-interest in the craft, and he ers built the steamer Enterprise, the largest continued on it until it was in the Licking river boat, at that time, that had engaged in this near Cincinnati in 1851. The "Newark" carried trade. In the spring of 1849, the "Newark" was a number of wagons for the "Enterprise" to the Zanesville and Marietta packet, captain, Harmer.

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Biographical and historical memoirs of Muskingum County, Ohio. Embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the county and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy families and individuals, Part 16

Author: Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 642

Author:
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 642