These pages are meant to make available queries submitted by e-mail, and to
provide a venue for those looking for information. I will add to it as questions
of various kinds come in. I hope it helps. Who knows, someone else may be looking
for the same information as you.
03/13/10
Hello
Dave,
I am trying to find information on the Mississippi River steamer Illinois,
she was working the lower river in September of 1864. I am transcribing letters
from an officer in the 21st Iowa, Lt. Gilbert Cooley. His regiment along with
the 99th Illinois, 120th Ohio and a battery of field artillery were travelling
on board her from Morganza, Louisiana to the White River, Arkansas during the
first week of September, 1864.
Any information you my be able to give, would
be very welcome.
Thank you,
Eric Starnes
11/13/08
Hello...
I'm seeking any additional information about a boiler explosion on
the Dr. Franklin No. 2, near Ste.
Genevieve, Missouri in 1852. The boat apparently survived since it burned at the
wharf in St. Louis the following year. Local lore holds that a sizable number
of people were killed in the explosion and buried in a mass grave in Ste. Genevieve,
now unmarked if it exists. The explosion is verified by at least one coroner's
report on a body found floating in the river a week later. Western writer Ned
Bluntline was supposedly aboard the Dr. Franklin No. 2 at the time of the explosion.
Any further information about this incident would be appreciated. Thank you.
B. H. Rucker
10/06/08
I noticed your web site about riverboats. I am looking for 2 people and their
steamboats that popped up in my ancesterial line. The Iberia
steamboat owned by J.A. Greer and John Stinson who owned the James
Battle. MR
08/28/08
Of particular interest to us is the Steamer Vigo
which is noted in the advertisment which appeared in the Vanceburg (KY) Courier
December 7, 1881. We already have information and photos the the Handy
and Handy No. 2, but would welcome information
on the W. T.(P.) Thompson.
The T. B. Hoobler who is noted as the Master of the Vigo
was Thomas Benton Hoobler of Lewis Co.,
KY. He was murdered in 1897 when a man in disguise knocked on the door of his
Vanceburg home. When Hoobler answered the call, the man through a bottle of acid
in Hoobler's face, causing his death shortly thereafter. Hoobler's great-granddaughter,
Marianne Jeanne Hoobler, is the wife of football great, Roger Staubach.
In 1876 when Capt. Hoobler went to Louisville for the summer to put in a portion
of the dyke at the falls for which he had recieved a contract, Capt.
Bagby (James Thomson Bagby - brother-in-law of John McAllister, builder of
the Fannie Dugan) took over command of the Vigo.
Best regards,
Dan
Dunham
dmd4yrls@sbcglobal.net
See advertisment
that came with this query
10/26/07
Working on a prospective film project, we are inquiring about information on the
steamboat Governor Allen, captained
and co-owned by John G. Benson (New Orleans)
c 1870s –late 1870s. He was the captain named in the case Decuir v Benson,
later overturned by US Supreme Court as Hall v Decuir. Any information would be
helpful. If any photographs of the boat are available, this would be of interest,
as well.
Thanking you in advance for
your consideration to my request, I am,
Sincerely,
Julie
Eshelman-Lee
Director
CREOLE WEST PRODUCTIONS
director@creolewest.com
11/19/07
Was looking
for details on Riverboat Fontenelle, your site should have given me the needed
data.
There is a gap between F Page 1 and F Page 2. (Fl to
Fo)
It leaves off at Flying EAGLE and starts at FOREST CITY. The FONTENELLE
is missing.
(I have since entered the FONTENELLE
- Dave.)
The Riveboat Fontenelle was the boat that was at Carroll
Landing on September 23, 1877 when the Nez Perce attacked Cow Island, on the upper
Missouri. Captain Baldwin, 5th US Infantry was aboard and sensed something was
wrong and had the Captain _________ turn around and go back. The Fontenelle then
transported the Army of the Yellowstone across the Missouri and they headed off
to capture the Nez Perce at Snake Creek "The Bears Paw".
I
am looking for the name of that boat's captain.
There were
two other steamers there at the time. Steamer Peninah,
captained by Captain William Kountz, had
just off loaded freight at Cow Island and was heading downriver. The steamer Benton,
captained by Captain Grant Marsh (of Far
West fame), just left Cow Island Landing and was hailed my General Oliver
Howard to carry him and 100 of Major Mason's 21st Infantry to Cow Island to relieve
the besieged.
I got my information from Nez Perce Summer -
1877 by Jerome A. Green. I forget the page but is written about during the Sept
19 through 28th, 1877 time period.
I NEED THE NAME OF THE CAPTAIN
OF THE STEAMER FONTENELLE.
Thank you for your attention and
help.
Lee R. Williams
Author, Nez Perce Series, Book III, Waves of Blue
Hesperia, CA
See Capt.
John H. Shaw - Dave
12/04/07
My
Grandfather Robert Franklin Myers was the
Captain on the Gordon C. Green in 1922
and on the General Woods in 1920 he ran
from Pittsburgh to New Orleans as he met and married my Grandmother in Huntington
W Va and took her on board for their honeymoon in New Orleans- for a time she
was the cook on the boats so they wouldn't be apart-but when the kids started
coming she stayed home with them-pls direct me as to where I can get the historyon
these wonderful vessels.
Thanks for your help,
Nancy M.
Smith
Miami
12/31/07
Hello,
I am George Summers Dudding. My great grandfather was Captain
James Benton Dudding of the steamer Telephone.
My grandfather George Summers Dudding was clerk on the steamer Telephone. In one
of your entries I notices that James B. Dudding was incorrectly listed as James
L. Dudding (middle initial wrong) (corrected, Dave)
James B. Dudding owned
the Kanawha Valley Packet Line. Prior to owning the Telephone he also owned the
steamer West Virginia. I have the original picture of the steamer West Virginia
in my possession. My cousin has the original picture of the steamer Telephone
in his possession. My great grandfather traded the steamer West Virginia for the
Telephone. I am trying to figure out if it is the same West Virginia you list.
The date on yours is 1829 and I didn't think his was that old. If I can help on
anything let me know. The site is an excellent source. Thanks for the work you
have done on it. I am going to look up some information on the West Virginia.
(1871 WEST VIRG. entered - Dave)
Thanks,
George S. Dudding
01/14/08
Greetings
from Norfolk County on the north shores of Lake Erie, Canada! Your web site is
now on my favorites list! I discovered it while researching a newly aquired treasure.
I have long had an interest in anything antique and so I attend a lot of auctions.
Recently I purchased a box lot which included a collection of Victorian ladies
fans.One of these was covered from one end to the other on the back with signatures.
Some where accompanied by locations such as Memphis, New Orleans and Council Bluffs.
There are several dates as well from July 31st to August 8th, 1896. Several of
the inscriptions refer to "Sunshine" and another, "On good old
Sunshine'. Thanks to a little digging on the web, including your site, I now realize
that what I have is no less than a souvenir of a lady's cruise on the steamer
"Sunshine" in the summer of 1896! The following names may be of interest
to you as they provide crewmen and their jobs. Capt.
A.C. Hazlett, Str Sunshine July 31/96 / ON THE GOOD OLD ( Old is underlined)
STR. SUNSHINE! Chas. M. HOWARD / L..A.
Kreis "Str Sunshine" / John P. THOMPSON -Mate/ Ed PARKER ,Steersman
Str. "SUNSHINE" / Jas. E. SEERY, Steersman Str. SUNSHINE. Other names
appear to be fellow passengers and some are unreadable. I hope this information
is helpful in your research. Please contact me if you want any further info or
have questions. I do have one request, since the only reference to a steamer by
the name Sunshine is that of a sidewheeler sunk at the end of the Civil War, and
there is no mention of this boat in the list of The Cincinnati Portsmouth, Big
Sandy and Pomeroy's fleet, could you let me know if you uncover any more info
on her. I would very much like to find a photo of her if one exists! Thanks for
your time. Gary PURMAL.
01/19/08
Dave,
My name is Jackie Cosper Holloway. I’m doing family research on an ancestor
of mine, Samuel A Cosper. He was a steamboat capt on the Coosa river in the early
1900’s. His son, also called Samuel A Cosper, and his father, Silas S Cosper,
were also involved with steamboats. I have a few pages from books mentioning Sam
Cosper, but I don’t know what books they are from. The person who gave them
to me got them from someone else, who got them from someone else…. Would
like to find the source of these pages.
So, can you help me?
Do you know of any books that might have mentioned my ancestor, Sam Cosper? Would
you give me the names of those books so that I might be able to get them from
the library?
Samuel
Cosper was ship master of the Clifford B Seay in the 1890's, also in some
capacity on the Magolia and the Willie
C Wagnon.
I've made copies of some of Bert Neville's books about steamboats.
Would love to have my own, but it seems that they are out of print. Most of the
ones I've seen were published in the early 1960's.
Would appreciate any help
you can offer.
My email address is jdholloway@bellsouth.net.
Thanks!
Jackie
07/21/09
Howdy,
I
am trying to find any information on the steamboat, Brigadier
General built in Cincinnati. It ran between Cincinnati and New Orleans. One
of my ancestors, Richard Henry Stokes Jr. supposedly had this boat made. I have
not been able to find any information on this ship. Do you have anything that
can help my research??
Thanks,
Blythe Stokes
