In addition to the keel, barge, and flat boat, which were in general use, many other strange craft floated on the Ohio, a few of which I shall attempt to give some account of. The boat which carried the advance guard of the Ohio Company and their provisions to the mouth of the Muskingum in 1788, was built by Jonathan Devol at Simrel's Ferry on the Youghiogheny River, and is said to have been the first decked boat that ever floated on the Ohio.[23] She was built with stout timbers and knees like a galley, with the bottom raking fore and aft, and decked over with planks. The deck was sufficiently high for a man to walk upright under the beams, and the sides so thick as to resist a rifle bullet. The steersman and rowers were thus safely sheltered from the attack of enemies on the banks. The boat was forty-five feet in length, and twelve in breadth. Subsequently gangboards were added on the outside, so that she could be pushed against the current, like a keel boat. It was at first supposed that she could be worked up stream with sail, but the variable nature and uncertainty of the winds on the Ohio River, frustrated their arrangements.[24]
Emigrants were usually, at this early period, 1789, detained for several days for a boat to be made ready for their use. Such a boat, conveying settlers to Marietta, was built after the fashion of a large, oblong box, covered half its length with a roof to shelter the people and their goods from the weather, while the open space contained their teams and wagons. The waters of the Youghiogheny and the Monongahela were low, and the boat grounded on sand bars, requiring the voyagers to lean over the side into the cold water, and pry her off into the current.[25] In 1790, John Pope describes the boat in which he left Pittsburg, as "a moveable fortification having about one hundred and fifty salt pans so arranged, as to render a few men within, capable of repulsing ten times their number without."[26]
In the year 1803, family boats were continually passing down the Ohio.[27] "These boats were of the largest size, and the floors were covered with rough sawed boards. In the rear a partition had been run across, in which they had stowed all their present useless furniture. Through the middle was a passage about five feet wide, on each side were small bed chambers of about twelve feet long and six wide, divided and surrounded by clean white curtains, while in front there was a large open space for the general use of the boat."[28] Emigrant families frequently passed down the Ohio in barges, "carrying with them their horses, cows, poultry, wagons, ploughs, harness, beds, instruments of agriculture, in fine, everything necessary to cultivate the land, and also for domestic use."[29]
Floating stores were also to be seen on the Ohio. Cuming says, "On returning to our boat we found a floating store at the landing. It was a large square flat-roofed, and fitted with shelves and counter, and containing a various assortment of merchandise. They were dropping down the river, stopping occasionally wherever they could find a market for their goods."[30]
Schultz, in his account of his journey, devotes one entire letter to a very interesting account of the craft upon the Ohio in 1807. The smallest were the canoes, then, the pirogues, sufficient to carry from twelve to fifteen barrels of salt. The skiffs varied from five hundred to twenty thousand pounds weight burthen, the larger ones being known as batteaux. Arks were not much in use on the Ohio, at that time.[31] Kentucky boats were of oblong form, varying from ten to fourteen feet in breadth, and from twenty to fifty feet in length, and were sided and roofed in. The roof answered the purpose of a main and quarter deck, and the boat was steered by a long pole, the whole length of the boat.[32] The boat usually carried from one to three hands, as it was necessary, when heavily loaded, to use the oars to keep the boat in the middle of the river. New Orleans boats were built upon the same model, but were generally much larger and stronger, and built with an arched roof fore and aft. The largest of these boats could carry four hundred and fifty barrels of flour.[33] The timbers or knees were built upon a small keel, three inches deep, and four or five in width,—hence the name keel boat. The keel received the first shock of any obstruction in the navigation.
Schenectady boats were usually built from forty to eighty feet in length, and seven to nine in width—the largest kind requiring one hand to steer, and two to row in descending the Ohio. These boats carried as much as one hundred barrels of salt. In ascending the stream six or eight hands were needed to make any considerable progress.[34] "The best kind of boats on the Ohio are called barges."[35] These boats were steered by a rudder, and when descending with the current were not so easily twisted and turned as a keel boat. The barges carried from forty to sixty thousand weight, and required four hands besides the helmsman to descend the river; to return with a loading, from eight to twelve became necessary. "Barges as well as keel boats, generally carry a moveable mast a-mid-ships—whenever the wind will permit, set a square sail, and some few top sails."[36]
The prices of these boats were as follows: Canoes from $1 to $3; pirogues from $5 to $20; large skiffs or batteaux from $20 to $50; arks $1 a foot in length; Kentucky and New Orleans boats from $1 to $1.50 a foot; Keel boats from $2.50 to $3 a foot; and barges from $4 to $5 a foot.[37]
Most of the strange boats, to be seen upon the Ohio River, after 1794, were broken up and sold at the end of the voyage, the produce disposed of, and the settler returned to his farm, a thousand or fifteen hundred miles, as best he could.[38]
The building of larger craft, was undertaken at some of the river towns. In the year 1800, some of the enterprising men of Marietta, formed a company for building a small vessel, and actually built, rigged, and loaded with produce, a brig of 104 tons, named the St. Clair. She cleared from Marietta in 1801, went to New Orleans, from there to Havana, and then to Philadelphia where she was consigned and finally sold.[39] The St. Clair was the first rigged vessel ever built on the Ohio River.[40] From this time until 1808, not less than twenty ships, brigs, and schooners, from 150 to 450 tons burthen, were built at Marietta, besides some of Mr. Jefferson's gun boats, two or three of whose number were lost in attempting to cross the Falls of the Ohio when the water was too low.[41] In 1807 Schultz says that there were three ships of about 300 tons burthen each, and two large brigs, besides smaller craft, on the stocks at Marietta.[42] The price of ship building in Marietta was fifty dollars a ton, rigged and equipped completely for sea.[43] Ellicott in his Journal for the years 1796-1800, says that vessels have been built and sent to the West Indies.[44] Large boats had been built at Elizabethtown on the Monongahela, before 1803, and sent to the West Indies.[45] Previous to 1807, about twelve brigs and schooners had been launched at Pittsburg;[46] and brigs had been built at Frankfort and sent down the Kentucky, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers.[47]
The Falls of the Ohio were very dangerous to strangers unacquainted with the navigation. In 1807 pilots might be procured who would conduct travelers over in safety. Two dollars per boat was charged for this service.[48]