"Ken McCutchan is a life-long resident of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, descended from pioneer families that entered the area in the early 1800s. He is veteran of WWII, having served with Army Corps of Engineers in both North Africa and Europe. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Composition and Modern Language from the University of Evansville, a certificate in French Language and Culture from the Sorbonne in Paris, and an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from the University of Southern Indiana. His other books include: The Adventures of Isaac Knight, From then Til Now, Saundersville, An English Settlement, At The Bend in the River, and Dearest Lizzie. Mr. McCutchan's books may be purchased at Willard Library in Evansville, IN.

Our 19th Century Boatyards    - History

by Kenneth McCutchan

Evansville gained national recognition during World War II. However, that was not the first time boats were built in Evansville. During the 19th century, the construction of steamboats was a major industry here.

The first attempt occurred about 1834, When Frederick Goodsell and John Ham built the Otsego on the bank of the Ohio river at the mouth of Pigeon Creek.

It was said that all the timbers for the hull were produced from the woods within 600 yards of the building site and were hewed and sawed by hand. Thh boilers and engine came out of the Delaware, which had been wrecked on the Scuffletown bar.

When the Otsego was launched, she plied the the river between Louisville, Ky., and St. Louis, making one round in every week. In 1839, she made a run up the Wabash River, struck a snag and sank.

Because of the depressed local economy at the time. there is no record of other boats being built here until the mid-1850s, but between then and the 1880s there were perhaps more than 50 steamers constructed here.

Some of then were H. M. Summers and Franklin, both in 1851;Greenville,1857; Maid of the Mist,1859; Fanny Gilbert, 1864; G.w. tHOMAS, 1870, and Ada Heilman, Uncle Buck, Dick Johnson and Eddyville, 1871.

There were several small operations, but the main companies engaged in the business were A.J. Cavender Dry Dock and Shipyard, athe the mouth of Pigeon Creek, and John C. Jameson & Co. Steamboat Builders and Repairers on the riverbank at the foot of Leet Street(now Goodsell Street).

Not only did the lumber hulls of these boats come from local sawmills, but the engines came from Schultze, Thuman & Co.; boilers from Heilman & Kratz; blacksmithing by Lindenschmidt; furniture from Armstrong; upholstering by Conrad Haase; and hardware from H. K. Wells & Co. All these were local firms, so boat building created many jobs and poured thousands of dollars into the local economy.

There is one sad tale about a boat named Emma. Built by Jameson, it was considered quite an elegant craft. The christening and launching occurred in December 1872; amid much hoopla and fanfare, the boat set out boldly on its maiden voyage that was to take it all the way to Vicksburg, Miss.

Unfortunately, the Emma got only as far as Shawneetown, Ill., when it caught fire and burned to its water line.