Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-10
WERE ONCE A PORT
Steamboats, Were the Principal
Means Of Transportation.
DIES MONIES RIVER HAD STEAMBOATS,
Wapello County Legislators Formerly
Came Home From Des Ioines by
Packet-Boat Excursions
From Ottumwa.

Packet-Boat Excursions
From Ottumva.
AT one time the Des Moines river
was a commercial artery Of no mean
importance, but SO great has been the
fall from its former greatness that of
late years, it is said, that the thrifty
farmers of Lee county utilize the very
mouth Of the river in the late summer
months for cucumber and melon patch
es. At one time vessels piled between
Des Moines and New Orleans, and one
sailed across the gulf of Mexico to
Yucatan, but now it would not float a
naptha launch with any degree of safe
ty. For twenty-five years the Des
Moines river was annually traversed by
dozens OF plucky steamboats, with an
aggregate annual tonnage of millions
of pounds, it being almost the only
means of communication between the
prosperous little trading posts that
dotted its banks and the outer world.
In the year 1862 vessels piled as far
as Fort Dodge, where number of val
liable cargoes We're discharged and ex-
changed for, corn, meat and furs. The
river would have been used for steam
boating no doubt for many years more
had it not been for the demand for all
vessels in war service and the advent
of the old Des Moines Valley railroad
which gradually reached out from Keo-
kuk until it extended to Des Moipes
in 1866. But the cultivation and drain
age of lands in later years operated to
absorb the rainfall to such an extent
that the stream ceased to be nayigable
even before the numerous bridges
across it between Des Moines and
Keokuk made amboating impossi-
BILE.
The last record of navigation of the
Des Moines is that of the journey of
"Kelley's army from Des Moines to
st. Louis, in May, 1894. The fleet de-
parted on its journey on May 8, and the
unusual sight excited much attention
all along the route. A half century
ago, however, it was an every day oc-
currence. Tacitus Hussey, of Des
Moines, in the current number of An
mails of Iowa, has an interesting article
on Early Steamboating on the a Des
Moines," in which he carefully chron-
icles all the facts concerning the navi-
cation of the river for which he could
obtain reliable data.
The first. steamboat to ascend the
Des Moines as far as Keosauqua was
the S. B. Science, Captain Clark COM
manding. 1t was in the autumn of
1897. She contained a cargo Of flour,
meal and other groceries, which aggre-
gated considerable value, as flour then
sold at $1S per barrel; pork at. $40 per
hundred pounds; corn meal at So per
bushel, and other foodstuffs at proper
tionate values.
The river ports at this time from
Keosauqua up consisted OF Croton. To-
waville, Ottumwa Chen called Fort
Sanford), Eddyville (then Eddy's trad
ing post), Pella (then New Amster-
damn and Fort Des Moines or Racoon
Forks.
Ottnmwa as Port.
Ottumwa's place in the steamboat
number in the Annals of Iowa does not
seem to have been very important in
the '40s. A sketch is contributed by
w. n. Kitterman, of this city, drawn
from memory, showing the site of the
old frontier post, Fort Sanfort. 1t is
good picture of a small portion of
the country around Garrison rock, south
east OF the city. At that time the river
seems to have run within much
shorter distance of the rock than it
does now, and perched at5the waters
edge are the log houses comprising the
forth In giving an account of the early
days, Mr.. Kitterman relates some in
teresting "reminiscences, but gives no
account of steamboating.
The year 1858 was a good year for
steamboating on the Des Moines. 1t is
related that it was so wet that year
that the red birds came up from Mis-.
souri, in large numbers and sang in
the branches of the trees along the
river: 'Wet, wet year! Wet year!
Wet! wet! wet!" One of the social
events Of that year was a steamboat ex-
cursion given by the steamboat Ed
Manning to the citizens of Ottumwa
The invitation to ride to Eddyville and
return was accepted by about 15C
ladies and gentlemen. The Ottumws
Sax Horn band accompanied the boat
and enlivened the trip with excellent
music. The occasion still fingers in
the memory of some of the early set
tiers as very pleasant incident, bu'
it is to be regretted that newspapers
in those days did not enter more into
details and leave something more
than the bare facts for a record.
Another Excursion.
In March, 1s49, the Revenue Cutie,
made Keosauqua. 1t did not take very
long for the citizens of that place t.
arrange for an excursion to Ottumwa
Many prominent citizens We're ABOARD
and the Keosauqua Democratic Brass
band awole the echoes along the river
When Ottumwa was reached the eAcur
sionists received very hearty wei
come from the residents, who at one,
began to urge the owner of the boa
to give them an excursion to Eddyville
which he consented to do after the tel
tons of freight which he had brough
had been discharged. The only one