Chapter Eleven

White River - Gateway to Marion County

By: Duane Huddleston

 Pages 118-121

When he was a young man of 28 years, he was working on a farm on Cow Creek with Bob Trimble, some three miles from the mouth of the Buffalo. As they toiled, they heard a steamboat's whistle pierce the stillness of the river valley, and on rushing to the river bank, saw the steamer DAUNTLESS slowly puffing up the swift waters of the Buffalo River. In open-mouthed amazement they watched the boat come closer and closer. As she approached, Captain Warner shouted and asked if they wanted to "take a little boat ride." The young men eagerly accepted the captain's offer and climbed aboard.

While discussing the trip with Mr. Isom, the newspaper account was read to him. He merely nodded, said it was a difficult trip, and continued his mental journey into the past. Progress was exceedingly slow, and the DAUNTLESS had to stop frequently for the crew to chop away over-hanging tree limbs that impeded the voyage. Another problem was the ascending of the frequent shoals, which were surmounted under the skillful direction of Captain Warner. When a shoal was reached, a line was tied to a distant tree on the river bank and attached to the capstan on the bow of the boat.

"It was operated like a windlass," stated Mr. Isom, "six or eight men would insert poles in the device and reel in the line, pulling the DAUNTLESS over the shoal."

Progress was slow, and although Walter Isom and Bob Trimble boarded the steamer one day, they did not arrive at the mouth of Rush Creek until the second. The cargo was quickly unloaded, and the DAUNTLESS headed for the deeper waters of White River.

In the late spring of 1896, Captain Cravens was repairing the T. E. MORRISON to make regular trips from McBee's, when he became interested in politics and apparently forsook the river. The fate of the boat is obscure, but Walter Isom stated that the steamer TYCOON sank a few hundred yards up the Buffalo River, near a farm he had rented. Apparently she developed engine trouble and was tied to the bank, where she sank. Some of the machinery was salvaged, but the boat was not raised. Since the TYCOON burned in the lower river, this was probably the T. E. MORRISON.

The year 1896 was especially disastrous for the steamboats serving Marion County. Gone were the T. E. MORRISON, the MYRTLE, the RALPH E. WARNER, and the J. A. WOODSON, which Captain Woodbury returned to her owners before launching the OZARK QUEEN at Batesville in September. The TYCOON was also built there, and three boats were in the trade; but the DAUNTLESS caught fire and burned on November 10.

The OZARK QUEEN was the last steamboat constructed for passenger and freight service to Marion County, and with her passing a colorful era ended. Her tremendous struggle against river hazards, the competition from other boats, and the increasing threat of the railroad, typified the last days of steam packets on the upper river.

Among the very few who remembered the OZARK QUEEN in 1972 was Mrs. Minnie B. Johnson, nee Huddleston, who is now deceased. In her youth, she witnessed the arrival of several steamboats at McBee's Landing and could recall those exciting moments. Before her demise, she stated: "When I was a young girl on papa's farm on the old Denton Ferry road, we could hear the steamboats distinctly as they rounded the bend and whistled for McBee's. Before the sound could fade away, us kids would yell, the QUEEN's a comin! The QUEEN's a comin! Steamboat's here!' Then we would race like scared rabbits through the woods to see who could be the first to reach the river!"

The OZARK QUEEN vied with the TYCOON, Captain Dick Prater, master, and the JOSIE SIVLEY for the upper river trade during 1896-97 boating season. Captain Woodbury's boat was the largest, being 133 feet long, 25.6 feet wide and displacing 135 net tons, while the TYCOON was 64 tons net. The OZARK QUEEN made nine trips from Newport to McBee's, eleven to Buffalo City, one to the rapids, and one from Batesville to Sylamore, carrying 260 passengers. In comparison, the TYCOON hauled 50 passengers on 19 trips-the JOSIE SIVLEY's captain did not render a report.

Trade was dull during the 1897-1898 boating season, forcing the TYCOON to Black River, but in late January the OZARK QUEEN and TYCOON resumed full operation, each making several trips to Buffalo City and McBee's until low water stopped their activities.

The steamers were in competition during the 1898-1899 season until the TYCOON burned in early 1899, after which the OZARK QUEEN enjoyed an excellent year. She made 22 trips to Buffalo City and McBee's, and on May 17 went to Oakland.

Captain Woodbury announced semi-weekly trips to Buffalo City at the start of 1899-1900 season, leaving Batesville every Saturday and Wednesday mornings. Again the OZARK QUEEN was alone in the trade, but low water reduced her trips. She made one to Oakland, six to McBee's and five to Buffalo City.

An event in early 1899 affected the OZARK QUEEN and her competitors -the River and Harbor Bill in Congress provided for ten locks and dams to insure year-round navigation to Marion County. One was authorized yearly until all were completed, and money was appropriated to start the first at Batesville. Construction began in the fall of 1900, and the OZARK QUEEN was no longer alone in the upper river trade; the JESSIE BLAIR, a small gasoline sternwheeler from Illinois appeared. The tiny vessel was 52 feet long, 12 feet wide and commanded by a Captain Heniken. She made three trips to Buffalo City by March 1, 1901.

The last two years of steamboating were busy ones. Construction on Lock and Dam No. 1 was completed, and work started on No. 2, some ten miles above Batesville. The White River branch of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad was also under construction. In addition to the OZARK QUEEN, more boats arrived, several being hired to haul equipment and supplies to build the railroad.

As winter approached, the captains prepared for the last season of steam-boating to Marion County. During late November, Captain Stallings passed Penter's Bluff with the 65-ton JOE WHEELER, enroute to Buffalo City, followed closely by Captain Woodbury and the OZARK QUEEN Shortly thereafter, the steamers KENNEDY, QUICKSTEP, WELCOME, BUCK ELK and MYRTLE COREY, and the gasoline boat EUREKA, joined the parade of boats to McBee's.

The OZARK QUEEN reached Buffalo City without mishap, but became stuck on the shoals. Although in a dangerous situation, she pulled free with only minor damage. The OZARK QUEEN's primary competitor for the commercial trade was lucky, with Captain Stallings having a good season, but Captain Woodbury continued to be dogged with misfortune. During the last week in December, the OZARK QUEEN was returning from McBee's with 400 bales of cotton, when she ran aground some 20 miles above Batesville

The crew worked for hours to dislodge the QUEEN, but she could not be moved. Sadly Captain Woodbury awaited a rise to free the steamer; however, it was six long weeks before the boat was dislodged.

After unloading his cargo at Batesville, the captain headed for McBee's Landing. He worked hard to recoup his losses, and the Mountain Echo reported on two occasions that he was scouring the river above Oakland for freight. Perhaps the strain was too much for the old riverman, for in March he became ill while on an upriver trip. Walter Isom, who was then working at the Buffalo City Landing, remembered Captain Woodbury's last trip: "When the QUEEN landed, poor Cap'n was awfully sick," he recalled. "He wanted to go on up to McBee's, but just couldn't make it. We unloaded the QUEEN, and she headed for Batesville. As I watched her round out, I knew the Cap'n would never be back."

The death knell for steam packets in Marion County was sounded on Monday, August 24, 1903, when the whistle of a steam locomotive heralded the arrival of the first passenger train from Batesville to Cotter. With its coming, regular rail service was established, and the twin bands of steel completed the job of crushing river competition. The stirring whistle of the steamboat had been stilled by the lonesome wail of the locomotive.

*Note: The proceding was extracted from a book-length manuscript of White River Steamboat History written by Duane Huddleston, and all rights to this material are reserved by him.