Transportation On The Ohio River - Continued
Rivermen from Hannibal and Fly served on boats that made the great "mountain trip" up the Missouri River to bring out furs and gold. This trip took them to Fort Benton, Montana, which was famous as being the greatest number of miles from the sea to be reached by river boats. Some of them served with distinction on the river boats during the Civil War. Many Monroe County men worked on the coal towboats which moved a vast tonnage of coal from the Pittsburgh district as far south as New Orleans.
Ferryboats were the means of crossing the river at Clarington, Hannibal, Duffy, Sardis, and Fly. Hannibal once had a steam ferryboat. These have been largely replaced by bridges, save the ferry from Fly to Sistersville which Gilbert Harmon operates today with steel boats equipped with radio. One of the interesting small boats was the "Tom" which carried people and freight from Hannibal to New Martinsville and back to Hannibal in the days when there were no good roads. This boat made several trips each day and one of its important freighting items was fresh vegetables produced in the Hoskins Brothers Greenhouse at Hannibal.
Entertainment came to Monroe County by river, too, and showboats such as the "Water Queen," "Sensation," "Hollywood," "Golden Rod," "Cotton Blossom" and a host of others were features of each summer. Their calliopes heralded the news that the showboat was in town and people came from far and near.
Today there is more tonnage moving on the Ohio River but it is carried in barges pushed by powerful diesel towboats and apparently does not attract as much attention as the luxurious packets did. Coal, oil, gasoline, steel, molasses, and bulk commodities of all types move up and down the river. The Hannibal Locks and Dam, now under construction, will help move this traffic more expeditiously. River Local High School carries out the river theme by calling its athletic teams "The Pilots" and the building is decorated with a pilot wheel from a real towboat.
The county still provides many well-known rivermen to help keep the boats going. Among them are Chief Engineer Reuben M. Thomas, Captain Wilson Fry, Captain Leroy Hyer, Captain Marlin Chaplin, Captain John Carson, and many more. It used to be said that the Village of Clarington could provide a full crew for any boat -- be it master, pilot, engineer, mate, deckhand, cook, etc. Monroe County can still do this. Boats are still owned in this County, too. Captain W.F. Potts of Duffy is part owner of the 730 H.P. towboat "Mack Gamble". Ray B. Potts of Sardis has a brand new towboat named "White House". Many county people own fine pleasure boats on the River. One example is the power houseboat "Jennie Len" owned by E.J. Woolf of River Local High School at Hannibal, Ohio.
Monroe Countians still enjoy visiting Locks 14 and 15 -- perhaps the most impressive structures in the County -- to watch the boats lock through. This may be an even more popular pastime when the Hannibal Locks and Dams are completed. An "overlook" will be provided where visitors may park their cars and have a good view of what is taking place on the river.
The Valley Boat Docks, operated by Larry Geisler of Duffy, is not only a haven for local pleasure craft, but is visited each summer by large houseboats and cruisers which arrive from ports ranging from Pittsburgh to St. Louis.