APPENDIX III
LIST OF RAFT-BOATS FROM DAVENPORT DEMOCRAT FEBRUARY, 1893
This is the last authentic list the author can find.
It shows numerous
changes from the list of 1890
305
| NAME | MASTERS |
| Eclipse | E.J. Lancaster |
| owned by Eclipse transportation Company of Davenport. | |
| F.C.A. Denkmann | O.E. McGinley |
| E. Rutledge | W.H. Whisler |
| F. Weyerhauser | John Hugunin |
| J.K. Graves | Harry Hugunin |
| owned by Weyerhauser and Denkmann of Rock Island. | |
| Kit Carson | Gara Denberg |
| Lumberman | J.H. Wooderd |
| owned by J.C. Daniels of Keokuk, Iowa | |
| Moline | Isaiah Wasson |
| owned by Dimock Gould and Company of Moline. | |
| J.S. Keator | Not Given |
| owned by J.S. Keator and Sons of Moline. | |
| Pilot | Orrin Smith |
| owned by Pilot Steamboat Company of Leclaire. | |
| Jo Long | S.E. Lancaster |
| owned by Jo Long Transportation of LeClaire. | |
| Irene D | D.F. Dorrance |
| owned by Union Towing Company of LeClaire. | |
| Ten Broeck | W.S. Mitchell |
| Iowa | George Carpenter |
| Netta Durant | George Rutherford |
306
| NAME | MASTERS |
| Volunteer | John Rook |
| owned by the LeClaire Navigation Company. | |
| West Rambo | Jos. Young |
| owned by the Upper rapids Transportation Company of LeClaire. | |
| J.W. Mills | J.H. Laycock |
| owned by W.A. Blair and J.H. Laycock of LeClaire. | |
| Gardie Eastman | George Reed |
| Reindeer | T.C. Withrow |
| Lily Turner | H. Hollinshead |
| owned by the Mississippi Towing Company of Lyons. | |
| Nina | John Pearson |
| owned by Lowell Sterling and Ida Lachman, Lyons. | |
| Lady Grace | J.G. Moore |
| Artemus Lamb | Thomas Duncan |
| Chancy Lamb | Abe Mitchell |
| owned by C. Lamb and Sons of Clinton, Iowa. | |
| D. Boardman | I.M. Newcomb |
| W.J. Young, Jr | Paul Kerz. |
| owned by W.J. Young and Company of Clinton, Iowa. | |
| Sam Atlee | Asa Woodward |
| owned by S. and J.C. Atlee of Fort Madison, Iowa. | |
| Musser | S. B. Withrow |
| J.W.Van Sant | Geo. E. Carpenter |
| Glenmont | John O'Connor |
| owned by the Van Sant and Musser Transportation Company, Muscatine. | |
| Charlotte Boeckeler | Robert Dodds |
| Helen Shulenberg | George Brasser |
| owned by Shulenberg and Boeckeler Lumber Company, Muscatine. | |
| Henrietta | No Assignment |
| Cyclone | No Assignment |
| R.J. Wheeler | No Assignment |
| owned by Durant and Wheeler of Stillwater, Minnesota. | |
307
| NAME | MASTERS |
| Saturn | George Winans |
| owned by George Winans. | |
| Daisy | John Hoy |
| owned by Musser-Sauntry Company, Stillwater. | |
| Clyde | M.M. Looney |
| Isaac Staples | C.B. Romahn |
| Ravenna | C.H. Davison |
| Menominie | E.D. Dickson |
| owned by Bronson and Folsom of Stillwater. | |
| J.G. Chapman | Ira DeCamp |
| Luella | J.S. Walker |
| owned by C. Jellison Towing Company of Wabasha. | |
| B. Hershey | Cyprian Buisson |
| C.W. Cowles | Joseph Buisson |
| Lafayette Lamb | J.E. Kaiser |
| owned by the Valley navigation Company of Wabasha. | |
| Lion of Wabasha | H.C. Wilcox |
| owned by H.C. Wilcox. | |
| Vernie Mae | Wm. Weir |
| owned by D.J. McKenzie of Alma, Wisconsin. | |
| City of Winona | O.J. Newcomb |
| owned by Youmans brothers and Hodgins, Winona. | |
| Juniata | Henry Newcomb |
| owned by Laird, Norton and Company, Winona. | |
| Bella Mac | N.B. Lucas |
| Mountain Belle | A.P. Lambert |
| Louisville | L.A. Day |
| B.E. Linehan | Wm. Dobler |
| Helen Mar | (No Assignment) |
| owned by LaCrosse Mississippi Towing Company, LaCrosse. | |
| Dan Thayer | A.M. Short |
| owned by P.S. Davidson Lumber Company, LaCrosse. | |
| Quickstep | A. Gallager |
| owned by Vol. A. Biglow, LaCrosse. | |
309
| NAME | MASTERS |
| Abner Gile | Brown Jenks |
| owned by J.B. Jenks and Vol. A. Biglow. | |
| Lizzie Gardner | Wm. Kratka |
| Pauline | Hiram Brazee |
| Thistle | George Tromley, Jr |
| owned by the Kratka Towing Company, Lansing, Iowa. | |
From the foregoing list we learn of many changes in ownership. The old
firm of McDonald Brothers of LaCrosse that had enjoyed many years of
prosperity, became embarrassed and had to be reorganized during the winter
of 1892 and 1893, and the old firm name appears no more. In its place we
have the LaCrosse Mississippi Towing Company with their fleet cut down to
four boats in commission. The 'Helen Mar' did not do any more rafting.
Also the old and prosperous firm of Durant, Wheeler and Company only has
three boats left and no captain hired for the 'R.J. Wheeler' and they soon
afterward sold her to Captain Will Davis and A.S. Merriam to run lumber to
Quincy.
The rafting industry had reached its peak and was starting on its decline
to wind up for good in August,1915, when Captain W.L. Hunter with the
steamer 'Ottumwa Belle' on the stern and the 'Pathfinder' on the bow and
the 'J.M.' in tow ran the last raft.
~* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Transcriber Note:
I have enjoyed doing this and hope it will help others find relatives
they have been looking for, with a time and place that will be of help too.
I have had the pleasure of speaking to W.A. Blair's great grand daughter, Elizabeth.
She is living in Indiana at age 87 (2001). She related a few stories that
gave me an idea of her grandmother and grandfather's personalities. Captain
Blair was married to my Dad's aunt, Elizabeth. Her sister, Adele, married
Captain John H. Laycock on same day. I have since learned that Adele and John
were divorced. After doing this book I can see that many of these men were
married to the river and the rafts-it must have been hard on the women.
Joan (Bard) Robinson
HISTORY