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Memphis, Tennessee, circa 1910. "River packet Charles H. Organ landing at Mound City." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
Great picture.
Standard History of Memphis, Tennessee, 1912.The West Memphis Packet Company at the foot of Court Avenue, runs the steamer Charles H. Organ several times daily to Hopefield, Mound City, President's Island and Wyanoke. This boat is much patronized by excursionists and pleasure seekers.
Sternwheel steel hull ferry
Size: 135.3 x 30 x 5 feet.
Launched in 1897 at Dubuque, Iowa
Owners: West Memphis Ferry Co.
In 1918 purchased by Patton-Tully Transportation of Memphis; converted to towboat and renamed DAN QUINN.
Captains: John C. Wykoff
Wagon tongues, that is. Seems like a dangerous thing to do if there was fog or a lot of traffic. Then again, one could tie a line and hook on the end of the tongue and see what could be caught. Like a snag.
Note that this craft does not have a front gangway nor the gear to handle one (anymore?). So all its stops likely have barges as shown here. No impromptu stops anymore.
When I looked at this, I immediately thought of the ancient whaling ship currently being restored at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Ct., The Charles W. Morgan. I know you are probably saying "So what does this have to do with the price of eggs?" Well nothing, except that they are both antique wooden ships and they have names that rhyme. (Give me a break, I'm old and lonely). You may know that you can, even today, take a riverboat tour out of Memphis, I did it four years ago and it was unforgettable.
A four tone whistle on the stack spreader bar, nice!
Except for some minor changes in the clothing styles, this image could just as easily have captured a moment in time from antebellum America.
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