Gasboat at Tell City

It would be on the river side of the flood wall. The street running along the inside of the flood wall should be 7th Street. The gate through the flood wall would be at Washington Street and 7th Street. The wreckage should be somewhere between Guttenberg and Blum Streets on the river bank. Although those streets stop at the flood wall. The photo that Keith posted looks like the boat that I remembered back in the mid 1970's. It was on the bank well above the normal pool stage of the river. There is a park along the riverfront today but if my memory is correct the location of the boat would be near or above the upstream end of the park in the trees and weeds. You might need a machete and chain saw to get to it today! I looked at the site using Google Earth but the resolution is not sharp enough to make out enough detail that would identify the location of the boat. There is an unnatural rectagonal shape in the trees directly below Blum Street on the bank but the satalite photo does not have the resolution needed when you zoom in that close. Google Earth is a very handy satalite photo web site of the entire earth in case everyone is not familiar with it. Just click on a location on the map an it keeps zooming in until you get to the location that you want. Its fun.

Ted: I've been along that street in recent years to photograph the flood wall murals and I don't recall seeing any "boat bones" lying in the weeds. But, it was summer, the trees were in full foliage and I wasn't looking for any wrecks! In 1976 the boat was tied up at the end of some barges that were moored along the bank and connected to the "Tell City Wharf Boat". The GUY L. / MILLIE F. had a dandy pilothouse with a nice wooden pilotwheel and I wonder what became of it. If the boat sank, the pilothouse most likely was lost to the river. Tell City was much in the news recently when the body of a young woman was found in the river in that area after being murdered. Imagine THAT -- in tranquil Tell City!

Jim, thanks very much for the correction of the spelling and for the location. In the photo that Dan sent me I mistook his r for an i and thought it was Caintown. It's been a while since I've been down on that part of the Ohio and I don't have my river charts here in the office!

Yes, that murder was very unusual for Tell City and the body was found by a family fishing just below the park. When I saw the boat, and I think we are talking about the same one, it had been moved up on the bank and had been high and dry for at least one season. Lots of tall weeds surrounding it but no trees yet. The pilot wheel was still in the pilot house and it sure was tempting. It was to the left of the road that went down to Fischer's Marina. Marina and road are both gone and overgrown today. If anyone is looking up the Google Earth site you will see two boat ramps ending in the river. This indicates that the river was a little high when the photos were taken. Normally the two ramps converge as one when the river is at normal stage. The wreckage should still be visable in the photo if the resolution were stronger.

Thanks! This helps. This should be the area.
http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=Tell+City,+IN

Ted Guillaum;1176 wrote: It would be on the river side of the flood wall. The street running along the inside of the flood wall should be 7th Street. The gate through the flood wall would be at Washington Street and 7th Street. The wreckage should be somewhere between Guttenberg and Blum Streets on the river bank. Although those streets stop at the flood wall. The photo that Keith posted looks like the boat that I remembered back in the mid 1970's. It was on the bank well above the normal pool stage of the river. There is a park along the riverfront today but if my memory is correct the location of the boat would be near or above the upstream end of the park in the trees and weeds. You might need a machete and chain saw to get to it today! I looked at the site using Google Earth but the resolution is not sharp enough to make out enough detail that would identify the location of the boat. There is an unnatural rectagonal shape in the trees directly below Blum Street on the bank but the satalite photo does not have the resolution needed when you zoom in that close. Google Earth is a very handy satalite photo web site of the entire earth in case everyone is not familiar with it. Just click on a location on the map an it keeps zooming in until you get to the location that you want. Its fun.

Location Changed when Posting

Richard Weisenberger;1180 wrote: Thanks! This helps. This should be the area.
http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=Tell+City,+IN

The location changed during posting. To see the actual location yourself, go to Google and do a websearch for "Tell City". Open "Hybrid" and find the area between Gutenberg and Blum streets. You will find a large building located between the ends of these streets. Zoom in to the second to third closest levels. I did not find the wreckage, but it's got to be submerged in this area.

The location is Carntown, Ky., but its at mile 442, just up and across from my landing. As the Millie F it worked the limestone dock at Carntown. Capt. Frank was killed by a earthmover at the job site and his widow sold it to the man at Rising Sun. (Arnolds CreeK Marina) There are several good pictures in the S & D Reflector of March, 1981, page 16 and September 1981, page 23.

As the Guy L. the boat was part of my learning curve in the river business. The boat, part of the Shawneetown Ferry, was to be sold at public auction by the State of Kentucky, this in 1956. I went to the auction with intent to buy her. Bill Brokamp, who was a neighbor and supposed friend was there also. He asked me what I was willing to pay, as he had no interest. I said I had a cashiers check for $ 5,000 and about $200 in cash. The auctioneer asked for bids and Brokamp said $ 5300. End of lesson.

Cap Bill,

Thanks to your insight and story about the GUY L. How did you keep from busting that "friend" over the head with a capstan bar for out bidding you at that auction? Now what I want to hear more about is your "love" affair and purchase of the SEWICKLEY.

"Towboat" Richardson