River Men - Clinton Co., IA

River Men - Clinton County, Iowa

Photo McClure

Compiled by Georgeann McClure

This is not meant to be a complete list. If you have information on a riverman please feel free to add his information.

Many of these people are also mentioned in "When Rafters Ruled " which appeared in the Clinton Herald in 1933.
Rivermen in the Census
At the Helm: an article in the Clinton Daily Herald Dec 2, 1890

Anderon J. D.
Steamboatman

Baldwin F. R.
pilot

Barnes George
pilot

J. W. Barr
Capt.
Mr. Whipple married, in Clinton, Iowa, Lottie L., daughter of Captain J. W. Barr, now retired and living at Vinton.

Bentley Capt.
Lyons Advertiser
May 8, 1874
Our worthy fellow citizen Capt. Bentley has been making an addition at his residence. The improvement consists of a wing extending northward from the main building.

Berryan Frank B.
Boat builder

Bolman Isaac
Engineer

Brayton G. W.
Steamboat agent
Lyons paper
March 27, 1874

We are enabled through the courtesy of Mr. G. W. Brayton, the gentlemanly and efficient agent of the Northern Line at this port, to give the following river items:
The Clinton passed down on Wednesday, taking from this point thirteen hundred packages. Mr. gates consigned to parties in St. Louis by the Clinton on this trip over three thousand bushels of wheat.

Burns Thomas
Works on steamboat (pilot)

Edwards William H.
Engineer

Carpenter George
Engineer

Cary James

Cole C. J.

Cross J. N.
Capt.
Lyons Advertiser
Aug. 1874
Judge H. R. Mudoda citizen of Stillwater Minnesota is visiting his Brother-in-Law Capt. J. N Cross of this city. He will remain several days.

Crawshaw J
Lyons Advertiser
May 8, 1874
Mr. J. Crawshaw has his night ferry running regular now between Lyons and Fulton. Anyone can go to and from any train any hour through the night at a reasonable charge.

Crippen Wilks
Pilot

Curtis John S
Shipping Clerk

Deal Harry T.
Works on steamboat

Duly Joseph
Pilot

Duncans
Duncan A. E.
Steamboats and Steamboatmen of the Upper Mississippi
George B. Merrick
"Captain Albert Duncan was an oldtime raft pilot. In 1880, 1881 and 1882 he was master of the Park Painter. In 1882, in company with Captain O. P. McMahon, he built the Silver Wave. In November 1913 He was living in Clinton, Iowa

Obituary for Albert Duncan

Duncan James
Pilot
(830 North 2nd St. )

Duncan Thomas
Captain

Davenport Republican
Dec. 13, 1901
List of Masters for the Year
Boat Captain
Vivian Thomas Duncan
Going back to the 1880 for Rock Island, R.I. Co, Il has the household for boat captain Oliver P. & Nettie MCMAHN. Living next door is river captain Albert E. & Etta Duncan. Albert's brother James lives with them as a boat worker. Dick Tagert

Walter Blair " A Raft Pilots Log"
O.P. McMahon and A.E. Duncan,
also of Clinton, have retired from business with a comfortable fortune, The latter two were designers and builders of the steamer 'Silver Crescent.'

Durfair Mitchell
fireman

Edwards Wm.

Flynn John
raftsman

Harlock William Jr.
Capt.
"Lyons 150 years North of the Big Tree"
Connie Heckert
Captain William Harlock, Jr. (1857-1927), piloted vessels on the Mississippi river. Fter 1890, he continued to operate two boats from his line; they were profitable until the 1910's. The Nina Douseman, built at La Cross, Wisconsin, and the W. Harlock, built in Clinton and piloted by Captain Harlock's wife, ( Adel Smith)"were in constant crossings and carrying capacity crowds." One reason for this was because Iowa was at the time a "dry" state. The Nina sank in the late 1910's and the Harlock eventually went coal-hauling on the Iowa-Illinois canal.

Herst Mitchell
Works on steamboat bsc

Hollingshead Al.
Pilot Little Turner
410 11th Av.

Burlington Saturday Evening Post
Recollections of the Old river
J. M. Turner
5-20-1922

Capt. J. M. Turner speaking:
"Then in 1877 and 1878 we ran the Dells Lumber Co. for two years to Hannibal, Mo. On contract. In 1881 we ran the Steamer Golden Gate two years. Then Alfred Hollingshead and myself formed a co-partnership to run for seven years. This brought us up to 1889."
'The firm of Turner, Hollingshead & Co. terminated in 1889."

Chapter XLIV
Capt. Alf. Hollingshead and myself entered into a co-partnership under an agreement in writing and under that contract we were the manager. Capt. Hollingshead was at the boat yard at Eagle Point. He had the Steamer Pauline on the way for minor repairs. We pulled the Clyde out on the cradles for the winter and after several days we got a bid from the Iowa Iron Works to rebuild and remodel the boat into a stern wheeler. The Iowa Iron Works was very much in need of winter work for their men and done good work at a reasonable price.
They put in two steel boilers that would be allowed two hundred pounds, also new engines 14 inch bore and six foot stroke. After the boat got quite well along toward completion Captain Hollingshead got it into his head that the boat would out run anything on the river. We both spent a good part of our time at the boat yard. One day the Captain asked me if I knew the name of the fastest running animal on earth. We told him we thought the Reindeer was considered the fastest. He then said, "that is going to be the name of the new boat." We told him it was a nice name and satisfactory to us. It then soon got seized around the yard that the Clyde was going to lose her name.
*Mr. John Hopkins renamed the Reindeer, "The Clyde" after the River Clyde in Scotland.

Hollingshead Horace

Hollingshead Ed

Hufman Frank
engineer

Hufman Fred
Engineer

Hufman Robert
Engineer

Hugunin Harry
pilot

Kelly William
Works on steamboat

Kindred William O.
engineer

King C. H.
pilot

Krause Wm.

Lamb Artemus
Waterways Journal
April 27,1900 Page 11

Death of Artemus Lamb.

It was reported here this week that Artemus Lamb of Clinton Iowa died at the Hotel Caronada, San Diego, Cal. On the 21st inst. He was badly injured in a railroad wreck near Rock Springs last winter, and was taken to San Diego in the private car of president Burt of the Union Pacific Railroad. He was at first Threatened with blood poisoning but got over that, and there were hopes of his recovery.
On the 11th inst. A dispatch was received at Clinton, stating that he would not recover and death came soon thereafter.
Mr. Lamb was a man of wonderful business capacity. He was the head of the large lumbering firm of C. Lamb and Sons, and many other corporations requiring great executive ability to manage. His lost will be serious felt by the whole northwest. He had the ability to make money and he spent it with a liberal hand where it would do the most good.

Lamb La Fayette (Lafe)
Lyons Weekly Mirror
May 3, 1873
The new steamboat just built by Messrs. Lamb & sons, in Clinton is to be christened the Artemas Lamb. Her length is 140 ft; breath of beam 24 ft. 4 in; depth of hold 4 ft 4 in, hs 3 boilers, cylinder 16 ½ in. diameter and 5 feet stroke. Upon her upper deck the Artemus has eighteen good staterooms and a pleasant and well furnished cabin. Mr. Jr. R. Morgan, the builder, appears to have done his work well, and no labor or expense has been spared to make the Artemus not only a good boat but a model of her class, combining vast strength with great beauty. Mr. Robt. Hofman put in the machinery which is well worth seeing. The boat is now receiving the finishing touches and will be complete and ready to meet her consort the Chauncy, in the towing of rafts, in about a week. Mr. La Fayette lamb will command the new boat and we most heartily wish him bon voyage.
Messrs, Lamb & son are also building a barge to be used in transporting lumber, on the river. It is to be 200 ft. long by 25 ft. in width, with a carrying capacity of 500 tons. It will be completed in about 10 days.

Lachmund
Lachmund Ida S. Moore
Capt.
History of Clinton county Iowa 1976
Ida S. Moore (Mrs. Paul) Lachmund, commodore of the Gardiner, Batch Elder & Welles fleet, is among the first women pilots and steamboat captains.

Waterways Journal
Jan 21, 1899 p. 12
July 19 1902 p 9

WebRoots.org
Nonprofit Library for Genealogy & History-Related Research
A Free Resource Covering the United States and Some International Areas
Library - United States - Women in America
"She has owned interests in half a dozen boats. Some of them went to the bottom, but the mistress of the "Dodds" knew as well how to raise them and put them on the ways as her captain. When the "Robert Dodds" was placed in the rafting trade, Mrs. Lachmund personally inspected hull, boiler and machinery. She, with the assistance of her officers, plans all repairs. She buys all her stores and fuels. She makes her own contracts with the mills and adjusts her losses and differences. In a cozy upper room of the Lachmund home in Clinton is her office. Much of her correspondence is dictated from here. On the down trip Mrs. Lachmund's custom is to leave the boat at some point near home and run in ahead on the railroad."

Lachmund Paul
Capt.
Husband of Ida Moore Lachmund
Full Text LACHMUND, Paul
Memorial & Biographical Record…of Columbia, Sauk and Adams Counties, Wis. Part II 705 1901

Londroche/Londrosh Bernard Alexander
Born-11 Aug 1850 Ft. Winnebago, Columbia, WI.
died- 10-21-1921 Clinton Iowa
2nd wifes name was Edith B. ? 1873 Illinois and died before 1930
River boat Pilot in Wabasha, MN. Riverboat name- "Luella" also "Ben Hershey"
Alex was nicknamed Sandbar Alex. He was expelled from the Riverboat Pilot Society in 1892.

Mangold Festus C.
Steamboat hand

McCaffery John

McCaffery Wm.
pilot

Mc Keever John

Mc Mann O. P.
"Steamboats and Steamboatmen
Of the Upper Mississippi"
12-22-19
George B. Merrick
"Captain Albert Duncan was an old time raft pilot. In 1880, 1881 and 1882 he was master of the Park Painter. In 1882, in company with Captain O. P. McMahon, he built the Silver Wave.

MC MAHON NETTIE J. 1848 04/05/1932 Clinton IA 04/07/1932 F/W 84 SPRINGDALE 41 44
MC MAHON OLIVER P. 1842 1927 M/W SPRINGDALE 41 44

Info from the Iowa Genealogy web site is from Helen Hanson's book, 'Trailways to Albany 2000' She has the 2 Oliver's confused. On page 59 she says Oliver was born 1842. That would be Oliver P.(no middle name) who is son of John and Rachel (Hugunin) McMahan. ( She has them all listed as McMann (McMahon) ). Oliver P. was a river boat Capt. , married to 'Nettie' and they lived in Clinton in 1910.
She also has Oliver b 1818 married to Elizabeth ( which is right) but they lived in Clinton instead of Albany. I don't have a middle initial for him.
A sketch of Oliver P. by Don Ingram states "Oliver P was on the SILVER CRESCENT for a long time and helped build her."
Jerome Short was also a river boat Capt. from Albany. He was born 1849 in Albany to Ira and Eliza Short. In the 1880 Census he was married to Mary M and had 2 children Leslie D. and Wade F.
(As he was a river boat Capt. I assume this is the one they are looking for.)
I have no info on Albert and Thomas Duncan.

They are my ancestors and came to Albany 1836. Their father, Joseph McMahan, was killed in the explosion of the Moselle at the Port of Cincinnati 1838 I think. He had returned to OH to pick up the family belongings they couldn't bring on the 1st trip and was returning on the Moselle.
Gregory and Oliver ran a ferry Albany to Clinton and later Gregory is said to have been a riverboat captain - Albany to St. Louis and married to an Anderson, but that's all I know. Oliver had some buildings in Albany and later in Clinton, IA. He was a businessman and banker (president of Lyons Bank when he died). We don't have a middle initial for him, but he (or his bank) may have financed the building of a boat?? Don't know anything about the Silver Wave. He had 5 wives and is buried in the Lyons Cemetery.

Mc Nearn Edward

Mead Geo. B.
Cook on steamboat

Mikesell Sam

Mikesell Abe

Minter William

Mitchell Abe
pilot

Monroe John
Pilot
History of the Packet Lines by F. A. Whitney
"Captain Monroe of Lyons, Iowa writes me that some of the raft boats got away from me in my list. I appreciated his calling my attention to it as they were all good boats and shall live in the history of the great river. Here they are:'

Moore William

Obituary of William Moore

Morgan John
Ship carpenter

Morgan Robert
Ship carpenter

Murphy Edwin

Murphy William

Newsome John
Engineer

Nichols Fred R.

Nichols A. J.

Noonan Patrick
Works on steamboat

O'Connor James

Ogden
Steamboat agent
Lyons Advertiser
July 21, 1875
*See Root

Olson Alex
Steamboat hand

Olson Orrin
Steamboat hand

Percy William
Steamboat fireman

Perry Edwin

Press Charles

Prunk C H.
Boat watchman

Rellis James
Capt.
"Rellis, James Capt. died, 37years, born Co. Wexford, Ire., came to U.S. as child. Last 20 years was steamboatman, first as asst. pilot, next chief at the wheel, and last 4 years as master employed by W. J. Young & Co. lumberman of Clinton, IA. Commanded J.W. Mills, Fisk, Douglas Boardman. Married 8 yrs to Mary Nolan."

Ressor J. G.

Rockwood B. B.

Rockwood George

Roman C. B
Engineer

Root
Steamboat agent
Lyons Advertiser
July 21, 1875
Off for St. Paul is quite a party are going up the river on Tuesday evening on the steamer Arkansas. Root and Ogden agents, have secured very low rates of passage and many of our citizens are going to take advantage of the opportunity to visit Menehaha Falls, Fort Snelling, the cave, and other point of interest at or near St. Paul.

Seitz Charles

Shea John

Shea Thomas

Short
from Dryers writing;
"Fourth of July I found myself in Keokuk, Iowa, and a few days after that I shipped on the steamer DAN THAYER owned by the P. S. Davidson Lumber Company, La Crosse, Wisconsin. I. H. Short was captain; Chas. Short, second pilot; Chas. Burrell, chief engineer; Jas. Ferguson, second engineer; Dave Judson, mate"
"We landed in Clinton, Iowa, one day on our way up the river and he said we would be there about two hours. I went uptown to mail a letter and was gone about one-half hour, but when I did get back, the boat was making the crossing below Lyons and I didn't have a coat, vest, or a cent and had to "railroad" to La Crosse. Nice man. He was one of a family of five brothers, all pilots; Jerome E., Allen M., George C., Chas. M., and Ira H., better known as "Windy," all good pilots and all have made "their last landing."

Short Allen M
Pilot

Short Charles
pilot

Ira H. Short (Windy) (H)
(Called Windy because he hardly ever talked)

Recollections of the Old river
Captain J. M. Turner
Burlington Saturday Evening Post
Chapter VI
"In the summer and fall months of 1919 the writer made several trips on a boat between prairie du Chien, Wis. and Hudson on the St. Croix about 250 miles. On many reefs there was not more than four feet of water and on several reefs not more than three and one half feet of water. Capt. Harry Short was pilot. He knew the channel. We seen the soundings done and done some of it ourselves and yet the news papers have stated then there was a six foot channel from St. Paul to St. Louis."

Short Jerome E.
Pilot, Captain

Jerome E. Short
Census Place: Clinton, Clinton, Iowa
Source: FHL Film 1254334 National Archives Film T9-0334 Page 197D
Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace
Jerome E. SHORT Self M M W 31 IL
Occ: Steamboat Pilot Fa: IL Mo: IL
Mary H. SHORT Wife F M W 25 NY
Occ: Keeping House Fa: NY Mo: NY
Leslie D. SHORT Son M S W 4 IA
Fa: IL Mo: NY
Wade F. SHORT Son M S W 2 IA
Fa: IL Mo: NY
Margaret DOWNS SisterL F S W 18 NY
Occ: At Home Fa: NY Mo: NY
In 1900 Jerome & family are in Keokuk, Jackson twp, Lee county.
Dick Tagert

Short George Lyman (LYME)
Think the George Lyman Short is your dude.
Bottom of Form 1

Short, George Lyman WNI (Biographical Sketch) -- -- 1840 - 1909 La Crosse Details
Short, George Lyman WNI (Obituary) -- -- 1840 - 1909 La Crosse Details
Dick Tagert

Hello Short 45,
I have some info. on Amos and Ira B. Short. I purchased
a book from the courthouse at Morrison (clerk's office) a
History Of Whiteside Co. it mentions Amos living there in
1840,and the death of his child drowning. Other sources re-
late him moving out west to Oregon and Washington. The
census of 1850 Oregon Clarke Co Shows his wife Ester and
Children.
Tom Short

Smith Adel (Mrs. William Harlock)
Capt.
Ferryboat W. Harlock built at Clinton, carried passengers from Clinton to Illinois when Iowa was a dry state and people went to Illinois for recreation.

Tanner
Capt.
March 27, 1874
They Lyons Ferry
Captain Bently the proprietor is a thorough and practical river man, and makes of his one of the best ferry routes on the river. He is seconded by Capt. Tanner, one of the most affable and gentlemanly managers. Capt. Tanner runs the "Lyons City" and he does it in a manner which pleases everybody who rider on her . The captain is the right man in the right place. Long may he and the Lyons ferry prosper we say.

Trager Sebastian
boatman

Ware Edward
EDWARD WARE, with C. Lamb & Son; is a native of England, and was born June 13, 1830; he came to America in 1842, and was brought up in York State; he came to Fulton in 1854, and came to Clinton Co. in 1855 ; he was engineer of the first saw-mill in Clinton; when the war broke out, he enlisted, in June, 1861, in the 1st I. V. C., Co. M; he remained in the service until March, 1866; he was promoted to hold commission of Second Lieutenant when the war closed; since then, he has been engaged in steamboating and in the lumber-yard of C. Lamb & Sons. He married Miss Augusta Lamb, daughter of C. Lamb, Esq., in 1859; they have six children-Fred, Jennie, Willie, Lettie, Eddie, and Artemus.

Wilde John
Engineer on ferry

Winfield Mitchell
Mate

Woolheather John
fireman

Wright George
boat cook

York W. M.
pilot

Boats
Walter Blair
"A Raft Pilots Log"
List of Raft-boats, their Masters
and owners, 1883

Silver Crescent..............................................O.P.McMann
owned by O.P. Mc Mann of Clinton, Iowa.

Netta Durant................................................A.E.Duncan
owned by the Clinton Lumber Company of Clinton and

Boardman.................................................James Rellis
owned by W.J. Young and Company of Clinton, Iowa

Hartford................................................Henry Buisson
owned by the Mississippi River logging Company of
Clinton, Iowa.

Chancy Lamb.............................................Abe Mitchell
owned by C. Lamb and Sons of Clinton, Iowa.

O.P. McMahon and A.E. Duncan,
also of Clinton, have retired from business with a comfortable fortune, The
latter two were designers and builders of the steamer 'Silver Crescent.'

David Joyce- The old Langfors and Hall mill.
Clinton, Iowa
Clinton Lumber Company.
W.J. Young and Company, the Upper mill.
C. Lamb and Sons, The Stone mill.
C. Lamb and Sons, the Brick mill.
W.J. Young and Company, The Big mill/
C. Lamb and Sons, the Riverside mill.
C. Lamb and Sons, Riverside mill, lower.
Camanche, Iowa

Boats of Lyons, Iowa

"Turner"...................................................C.C.Carpenter
owned by Edward Hollingshead, Ida S.Lachman and
George W. Ashton of Lyons, Iowa.

"Gardie Eastman"...............................................J.G.Moore
owned by Gardiner Batcheler and Welles of
Lyons, Iowa.

"R.H.Tromley"
owned by Silas Gardiner and Harry Wilkinson of
Lyons, Iowa.