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The dangers of Wabash River flatboating■ ■ a ■ a w# ^MI3 1 UKILMLLTYOURSBY DALLAS KRUMMOF WABASH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETYPELLAFrom about ibuo to 1855 there were a lot of local people who built fiatboats and took their crops to the very eood markets at New Orkans. The New Orleans prices were usually double what they were In local markets.One such person was Conrad Crum He owned land lust upstream from Old Palmyra. Hts land was on the Indiana shore, just east of PattonConrad supposedly settled In •The Neck area about iboo, when the Native American Territory was founded He farmed, had a small store and was a Justice of the Peace. He evidently traveled down the rivers to New Orleans Perhaps his sons. James Madison Crum and Thomas Jefferson Crum, did also.A receipt dated 1826 shows » lent to Baxil Heart ley by Conrad Crum for passage from Baton Rouge to Shawneetown. This proves that Conrad was a river mc-chantiraveller, and was In Baton Rouge at that time.By the way. some of Conrad Crum s descendants In this area include Kevin Crum. Gladys Crum Berlin. Frank Plxley Mary Ellen and Ruth Pixley. Raymond Pixlcy and this writer, among others.Another local man who was unfortunately involved with Wabash River flatboating was Jolrn Cotrie. Ho built his first flatboat and overloaded it. It sank. He died that night of the bitter disappointment and huge personal loss. His children and his brothers,William and Robert Corrle.and live in the area The Comes, Crums, Plxleys and other local families can trace their ancestry to these three pioneer brothers. It !s not known If William or Robert Cor-ne dkl tlatboailng. Undoubtedly some of their crops did The trip down river had a lot of natural river hazards Snags, sand bars, sawyers. Boating logs and brush presented special challenges One special problem was river pirates They often located near a series of snags, rlfflc-s and rapids. One such place was below where the Wabash entered the Ohio At the head of Hurri cane Bars, a man named Wilson occupied a cave tn the Illinois shore. Ho posted a sign on the river bank: ’’Wilson's Liquor Vault House for Entertainment* The cave came to be known as the 'Cave Inn* — later changed to ’’Cave m Rock *Boat wreckers waited along the bank: watching a boat pass, they would ofTer to pilot through the tricky channel. Without special help, most boats would run aground. If he hired a pilot (pirate), he would be sure to run aground And the boat s crew became vie-f-I UIilcrawl down to the hold and dig out the caulking In the boat’s bottom Ho would also bore a hole in the bottom of the boat. As the boat would start to sink, his gang would come rowing to the boat’s rescue., but all they rescued was the cargo.Two of the most vicious murderers of the Mklwest were the Harpes. with their three women companions. The Harpes were very bloodthirsty and lived at Cave in Rock for a while. The Mason Gang stayed at Cave in Rock for a while. Murrels Gang of Outlaws also worked In the Cave in Rock area. All of these gangs also robbed and murdered flatboatmen returning along the Natchex Trace and Red Banks Trace (that wont from Henderson. Ky to Vincennes. Ind.A favorite way of these river pirates to dispose of the victims was to remove the entrails and load the empty abdominal cavity with rocks Then the corpse would be dumped Into the river The body would stay a! the bottom of the river untU It disappeared via the fish and turtlesMany many flatboatmen did not return from their trips down to New Orleans. And most of their fates were unknown. Many of ihe robbers killed their victims to get rid of witnessesRo/ander Smith of Wabash County was a flatboatman for many years, from the ISffls-iasOs.Un ref hrem flnlhrenif ov.ttUNew Orleans Itself had a very tough waterfront.After the cargoes and boats were sold, the return home presented special challenges After about 181$. there wore steamboats that could be ridden as far as Shawneetown (J“** above Cave In Rocky Many flatboatmen bought a horse or walked along the well-policed Mississippi River Rood until they got to Natchos Miss There they often took the Natchez Trace — an old Native American trail. From Natchez to Nashville, Twin., the road went directly Into the swamp-ridden wilderness. This was 550 miles in lengthIn many places, the road was Just a trace or bridle path through the woods and caho brakes.For years the Natchez Trace had a bloody history of ambush, robbery and murder. Many bandits prowled there. Some of the meet vicious gangs were those of Mason. Kuykendall, Hare, the Harpes and Murrel. Some of these outlaws were hung for their misdeeds Big Harpe was slowly and brutally beheaded by an associate whose trust he had violated. His head was lodged In the forks of a tree near the Natchez Trace for live years.This was in Kentucky probably near Madironville HU grinning skull frightened many trav elers and gave his own special message to other robber* at)d outlawsThe Red Banks Trace branched oft the Natchez Trace and went north through Red Banks (Henderson). That was also a rough river town. The Red Banks Trace went north through Evansville, and close to Princeton. and entered Vincennes on WUlow Street.Many area men would have
Newspaper Details
Mount Carmel Daily Republican Register
Mount Carmel, Illinois, US
Fri, May 25, 2001
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
George C.
VA, USA 28 May 2017
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