Boats on the Ohio

Ohio History

A Day on the River

Here’s another picturesque scene with sunlight dancing around bobbing boats. West Virginia actually owns this part of the Ohio River up to the low-water mark (that was Virginia’s original boundary). We traveled down the Ohio River past Buckley Island and then turned back. There was once an amusement park on the island—till it was destroyed by a flood! What a lovely ride!!

Paddle Wheel

Ohio History

Valley Gem Paddle Wheel

I can just feel the cold water splashing up from the churning paddle wheel in this picture! The top deck of the sternwheeler gave us this view right into the wheel. It was fun to sit up there as we passed under highway bridges over the river! On the lower deck, we got to stand next to the water rushing around the boat. The Ohio River was currently seventeen feet deep, according to the captain.

Valley Gem

Ohio History

Sun on the Confluence

Then we boarded the Valley Gem sternwheeler, just downriver from the Snyder, not just to look but for a ride! The one-and-a-half hour cruise took us down the Muskingum out to the confluence with the Ohio River. The river, dotted with little fishing boats, sparkled in the shimmering sun. There were dredgers working in the confluence, seen here as we enter the Ohio River from the Muskingum. 

W. P. Snyder Jr.

Ohio History

Snyder Paddlewheel

This boat was a workhorse in its day. The W. P. Snyder Jr. ferried barges of coal for Carnegie Steel and Crucible Steel Co. for almost 30 years. It was the last stern-wheeled towboat to operate in the U.S. We marveled at the four 28-foot-long boilers below that powered the engines to run the paddlewheel, towing the barges at only eight miles per hour. You might be surprised that Snyder still runs; at least after the latest repair to the hull (which only cost $1.5 million!).

Model Riverboat

Ohio History

The Pioneer

Is it hard to believe this model steamer actually worked? It’s 1:12 scale, 24 feet long, resembles a packet boat used to tow barges, and sports miniature railings, rigging, and even window sashes. The paddle wheel contains 412 wooden pieces! It was hard to imagine the man who built it actually sailing it down the Muskingum River—but we saw a photograph of him riding on it!

Ohio River Museum

Ohio History

Buckeye State

Stepping forward in time less than a century, we saw the river transformed by the steamboat. Burning coal to run a steam boiler which turned the paddle wheel, this locomotive of the river slashed time and cost in transporting farm goods and coal. The Ohio River Museum had lots of nice scale models of the classy boats. This one, the Buckeye State, holds the speed record of 43 hours from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh. Wow, that seems like a snail’s pace to us!

Putnam House

Ohio History

Rufus Putnam's House

The museum was actually built around this two-story house, right where it stood as part of the Campus Martius stockade. The fort looked like a row of apartments, forming a protected inner courtyard; blockhouses on the corners made it even safer. Remember, this is Indian country! The bell on the right was a gift from French Queen Marie Antoinette (hence the name “Marietta”). Interestingly enough, all the other houses were moved to other locations when their owners got land—Rufus Putnam is the only one who left his on the original site.

Campus Martius

Ohio History

Fort on the River

Are you tired of baby chick photos yet? Well, back to another historical trip, we’re taking the two-and-a-half hour drive to the southeast edge of Ohio: Marietta and the Ohio River. First we visited the Campus Martius Museum and saw a Conestoga wagon, surveyors’ equipment, and pioneer tools. This topographical model shows the Campus Martius fort built here on the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers in 1788. I thought it was pretty impressive!