The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-09-12
"REMINISCENCES.
THE OLD STEAMBOAT LINES.
Another Chapter From The Elusive nemory OF An
Old Resident OF EIkton

/ was one of the picked men who formed
Lees celebrated Legion. vt the conclu-
sion OF the war of the Revolution. he
settled ut Elk Landing and was employ
ed hy Irhulon Holimg%worth a< n cook
on board Il vessel that piled between Elk
Landing and Baltimore. He afterwards
| h"ame Captain of the same vessel on
which Mr.. lIollingsworh had employed
him as cook. Afterwards i'm company
with James Gale. Il colorcd Chesapeake
Bay Captain. he bought the "Polly." AMI
started the first line to carry passengers
by tn" Chesapeake Bay between Philn-
dclphia and Baltimore.
AT Il very early date after the begin
ming of commercial intercourse between
these cities. merchandise brought from
| Baltimore was landed ut Charlc<town in
! this county. and transported from there
! hy wagons to the Delaware Passengers
! however, We're never carried by this
route. General Mcdonald being the first
man to start II Passenger Line by water.
| Largely in view of this fact. the success
s"r to tn" old "ConSttution" was named
in his honor. and the construction of
which was personally superintendent by
Captain Matthew G. pearrr, the Me
Donald' being the finest boat of her day.
General Mcdonald WAS known far and
wide as II generous hearted man. and
died at the advanced age of 50. having
accumulated great wealth by his indus
try and enterprise
The father Of Frisby Henderson. who
represented the Old Line at FrcMchtown.
was native of Hartford County. and
located ut French1own when he was Il
boy. He developed the lands about that
point. by ditching and fencing thrm and
was an extensive tobacco planter. He
was Captain i'll Il company of the Rev
"!utionary Army, and died from camp
fever during the war in New Jersey.
The business men and capitalists of
Baltimore, seeing that those engaged in
carrying passengers by the ChpSapeakc
Bay were making money. started an OPP
position line from Baltimore to Court
| House Point and across to Hamburg on
the Delaware River III 1910. after II
>pl1teH opposition the companies were
consolidated under the name of the Union
Line. They built wharf and ware
| nous" ht frcnchtown. on the edge of the
| river where the turnpike ended
The next year 1911. they contracted for
two steamboats,, one to be built in Bati-
more, to ply on the Chesapeake Bay. and
called "Thr Chesapeake" and the other
the 'DeIaware, to ply on the Delaware
River. An interesting fact is recalled
here. that when Frcnchtown WAS burned
| by the British. passengers were carried
| by packets from Baltimore. and suits
We're brought against the Union Line for
damages for Il large quantity of goods
destroyed there. The decision of the
Supreme Court however. was in favor of
| the company under the old law. that COM
.Aon curriers' We're not an;wcrahc for
goods destroyed "hy the hand of God. or
! the Kings enemirs''
When the steamboats, began their trims
on the Chesapeake between Baltimore
and Frcnchtown. Il new wharf and she'd
ding Were built. and the marsh bank
erected by the elder Henderson. was re-
constructed as public road. The two
boats. the "CheSaprHke" and the "Dela-
ware" ran for several years. Afterwards
another boat called "rhc Sea Horse"
commanded by Captain Rogers. and the
Eagle" commanded by Captain Spencer
were put on the route. Later the Eagles
boiler hurStcd and she was withdrawn
! from the line. Another boat. the "phila-
delphia commanded by Captain Howell,
and the limited States commanded by
old Captain Trippe, an uncle of the Cap
tain Trippc who remained with the line
up TO the period of its abandonment. were
on this line. the 'PhilaIclphia" often
making trips to Elk Landing.
In 1870, the elder Captain Trippc re-
| tired from the line and Captain NJ G.
Pcarce succeeded him as commander of
the steamboat Limited States
In the same year the Citizens Line was
started to run through the Canal having
two steamboats, on the Chesapeake. the
"Carrolr' Captain Chaytor, and the
"kentucky." and two boats on the Della
ware River, the "Ohio" and another.
For time there was il sharp competi-
tion between the two lines, but in 1881.
he Union Line bought out the Citizens
Line and the two lines were consoid-
ated under the name of "The Citizens
Union Line
While the steamboats, carried passen-
gers. freight continued to be carried by
packets, until 1882. when the railroad
between New Castle and Frenchtown
was completed and cars began running
in the fall of that year The freight
packets were commanded by Captain
Lewis. with whom Captain William Rob-
inSon. who years afterwards ran his YES
sci to Elk Landing-waS mate and by
younger Captain Gale Il colored man,
the son Of the old Captain who started in
the Chesapeake trade with William Nc
Donald.
In the year 1893. Andrew McIntire,
father of the late Samuel and James Me-
lntire. who for upwards Of twenty years
had been agent of the lines at French
town, retired from the line and located
on the farm where Andrew McIntire,
.Ir.. his son. resided mt the time Of his
death. Mr.. McIntire was succeeded as
aa.cut ut Ernnchtl LI: E.,I.ta;u