The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-04-25
THOS. HUGHES PAPER.
interesting Article on Steamboating
on the Mississippi River.
Continued From Last Week.


built especially for this river by Cap
tain Louis Robert. She left St. Paul
on April 4th with 100 passengers be-
sides full load of freight and on the
9TH arrived at Traverse Des Sioux
and Mankato. Another boat to enter
the trade this year was the Clarion, a
small stern wheeler of 7219 tons burden,
owned by Captain Humberton. On her
first voyage she arrived on excursion to
Traverse Des Sioux, where she arrived
on,'April 22d.
Two events of 1858 of much impor-
lance in the development of the Min
nesota river trade, were the establish
ing upon its head waters of the Sioux
agencies and the erection in their
vicinity of Fit. Ridgely.
The necessity thus created of trans
porting to such distance up the
river the large quantity of supplies
required annually by both soldier
and Indian gave an impetus for years
to the steamboat traffic of the Mime
sofa. The West Newton, Captain D.
S. Harris, secured :, the contract to
convey the troops with their baggage
to the new post, from Fl. Smelling.
She was small packet $50 feet long
and 800 tons burden and had been
bought the summer before by the Har-
ris brothers to compete with the Nom
inee in the Mississippi river trade.
She left Fit. Smelling on Wednesday,
the 9th day of April, 1858, having on
board two companies of the Sixth ..
S. Regiment, in command of Captains
Dana and Monroe. To help carry the
baggage she had two barges in tow.
The Tiger had also departed from st.
Paul on the 10Th and the Clarion on
the Goth, each with a couple of barges
in tow. heavily loaded with supplies
for the new fort and the Agencies.
The West Newton, being the swiftest
boat. passed the Clarion at Henderson
and the Tiger near the Big Cotton
wood and thence to the site of the
new fort at the mouth of Rock Creek
was the first steamer to disturb the
waters of our sky tinted river. The
Minnesota this year remained naviga-
BILE all summer and number of boats
assembled it to Ft. Ridgely and the
lower Sioux agency while others went
to Mankato and other points. The
passenger as we'll as the freight trade
was excellent. On two successive trips
in July the little Clarion carried 100
passengers at a time and other boats
were equally crowded. In September
two st. Paul gentlemen. G. D. Fill
more and VIM. Constans, bought each
a small boat for the Minnesota trade.
Mr.. FiImores boat, the Humboldt,
started on her first trip on the 18th of
the month, while on the oath followed
Mr. Constants boat the lola.
In all there were 40 boat arrivals from
the Minnesota at the st. Paul wharf ;
and the names of the boats engaged
and the number of trips made by each
as far as known were as follows :
Greek Sslave, trips; Clarion, 16
trips; Tiger, IS trips; Black Hawk,
s trips; West Newton, trip; Shen-
andoah, 3 trips; Humboldt, 2 trips 1;
lola, trips. Total 40 trips. The
Greek Slave opened the season on the
4th of April and the lola closed it on
the ID of November.
The winter of 1854 was mild and
open and the river broke up early but
without the usual freshet for there
had been little snow. The Greek Slave
was the first boat on the Minnesota
again in 1854, and her first trip was
an excursion to Shakopee on the 21st
of March. The Humboldt followed her
in day or two and during March
and April made about dozen trips
but owing to the low water did not
get above the rapids but once or twice.
The Greek Slave only attempted one
trip up the Minnesota in April.
The success of the prior season
awakened in boatmen great expecta-
tions for this year and much prepare
ton for it was made during the win
ter, but all was doomed to disappoint
ment Captain Samuel Humbertson,
who the year before had been the most
active in the trade, and had started
above the mouth of the Blue Earth,
the townsite of South Bend, which he
hoped would become the chief city of
the valley, during the winter sold his
little Clarion, and built for himself at
Pittsburg, fine new boat 10 feet
long with 80 we'll furnished state
rooms. He christened her the Mime
sofa Belle and loading her full with
immigrants intended mostly for his
new town, on May Sd started up the
Minnesota. To the captains great
chagrin his new boat failed to climb
the rapids and he abandoned the river,
TOWNSHIP and all. in disgust. A rain
fall few days later, however, swelled
the river sufficiently for the Black
Hawk to reach Traverse Des Sioux on
the goth of May. For some time and
until after July Goth the lola and the
Montello ran with fair regularity
between the rapids and Traverse, sup
plementing the Black Hawk, Humboldt
and other boats playing below the
rapids. Large keel boats denominated
barges, propelled after the ancient
method by crew of men with poles,
became common on the river this year.
Andrew @. Myrick placed two of