The Madison Courier interviewed W.F. Guthrie, an old gentleman who had seen the railroad from an early time. He stated, "After a shower of rain the wheels would slip on the rail and the brakes would not have the desired effect. It was said of a...
The "Monongahela" was built in 1927 and rebuilt in 1945-1946 when she was converted from coal to an oil burner. In the late 1950s she was partially dismantled. Her remains were sold to a South American firm. She broke away from her tug during...
The "Hattie Brown" was built in 1884 and made a regular run from Warsaw to Madison, Indiana and back daily. She was converted to an oil engine in 1915; two years later she was lost in the terrible freeze of 1917-1918 when the Ohio River froze for...
Steamboats; Showboats; Riverboats; "Grace Devers"; Towboats; Tugboats; Levees; Otto Hitner
The "Cotton Blossom" began life in 1896 as a raft for a lumber company working out of St. Paul. She handled the large excursion barge named "Mississippi" at one time, was renamed "The Princess" and was then sold to the Barrett Line for use as a...
On March 28, 1896 at St. Louis, a great, black cloud loomed menacingly over the city. The "City of Monroe" chanced to be moored at the Anchor Line wharf-boat, ready to start on her regular trip to New Orleans. She was heavily laden with freight...
If the "Delta Queen" was the swan of the Ohio, then the "Kentucky" was the Little Mud Hen. According to Way's Packet Directory, "the cabin was shifted out of plumb and leaned in a uniform stagger creating an optical illusion seen nowhere else...
Rivers; Waterfronts; Horses; Mules; Steamboats; Riverboats; Mail steamers; Passengers
This river scene depicts great activity along the levee in any typical river town. The "Columbia" is either loading or unloading her passengers. The horse-drawn carts near the gangplank were probably used to convey passengers to and from the boat....
"Fleetwood"; "New South"; Waterfronts; Rivers; Ohio River; Madison, Indiana; Steamboats
The "Fleetwood" and "New South" are seen at the U.S. Mail Line wharf boat at Madison, Indiana. The wharf boat has been described as a "big barn of a building". It is believed that the "N. Williams, Agent for the Lines" was Captain Nat Williams,...
Photographers; Photographic studios; Riverboats; Gorgas, Joseph R.
Joseph R. Gorgas used this boat from about 1855 to 1858 as a floating photographic studio. The word "daguerrean" can be plainly seen on the side of the boat. Gorgas had a studio in Madison, Indiana for many years and was a sought-after...
The No. "8606" is seen in this picture. The H-6 series of engines took over all passenger and freight service after the "8434" and the "8452" were scrapped.
The "City of Madison" was built in 1860 and originally ran from Cincinnati to New Orleans. She was built in Madison, Indiana and was used as a government boat during the Civil War. She participated in Grant's campaign on the Tennessee and was at...
Railroads; John Brough; State parks & reserves; "Brough's Folly"
Here is a close-up of one of the abutments for a trestle for the project that was to by-pass the Madison incline. There are several sites within Clifty Falls State Park where traces of the old, abandoned project can be seen. For more information on...
The "J.T. Hatfield" is seen here at Madison, just past the Madison-Milton bridge. She was built as the "General Ashburn" but her name was changed in honor of James T. Hatfield when the Hatfield-Campbell Creek Coal Company bought her in 1945. She...
Water skiing; People; Rivers; Ohio River; Regattas; Steamboats
Onlookers watch as a daring young lady tries her hand at waterskiing on the Ohio River. This was probably an exhibition as the riverfront is crowded with people watching. Our best guess is that this took place during the Madison Regatta. The...
The "G.W. McBride" was built in 1916 at Elizabeth, Pennsylvania as the "Conqueror". The "Conqueror" was upset in a storm and sank. She was raised, rebuilt, and named the "G.W. McBride" by Captain Birch McBride. She was sold to the Ohio River...
The "America" was built in Jeffersonville from the hull and machinery of the old "Indiana" in 1917. She ran as a packet for several years and then was converted to an excursion boat. She burned at Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1930. The "America" is...
