Greene Line barges

In the 1930's there was but one practicable highway between Louisville and Cincinnati - US 42. US 42 is hilly and crooked and truck traffic on it was extremely slow. If one planned to go to Cincinnati from Louisville he hoped for a minimum of two and a half hours and expected three or more in transit. Trucks took longer, of course. Transporting fifty automobiles and thirty trucks over that highway was expensive and time-consuming. In addition there was considerably less risk of collision, etc. The fact that the Greene Line could deliver them overnight was competitive. Another factor was safety, for autos on boats and trucks on barges could not beat up on each other. Today, on the Interstates, the trip can easily be done in an hour and a half.
Following one or two tractor-trailer rigs up the hill from Cincinnati to Florence or Erlanger was a very slow and frustrating business. Other long and steep grades were encountered at Carrollton and Warsaw, and all of the curves are sharp. Even today, without the freight movers on US 42, it takes an hour longer to make the trip than on Interstate 71.

Alan: your post is on the money. I lived as a kid on the big hill up out of Covington. The tractor trailer rigs going up hill were extremely slow. On hot days in summer, the drivers would often stand out on the running board and steer the slow moving beasts on the way up the hill. I was once admonished by one of the drivers to "jump on if you want a ride, son, I ain't gunna stop". And, I did on the way to school. At least there was a passing lane here (+- four lane to Florence from Covington...on down US 42 there was none and in your car you got to read the sign "caution air brakes" way up close and personal all too often. My question is, how did the CHRIS manage the tow? Did she have towing knees? I have never seen any on her.

They towed on the hip. Barge and towboat were lashed together at bow and stern. Both Chris and Tom were longer than the hulls of the Ouachita and the Cary-Bird, so it was easy to do. I do not remember the Cary-Bird or the Ouachita running under their own power, but I very definitely recall watching the Ouachita slowly fall apart at the foot of Third Street. Suddenly, one day, it was gone and the hull became the Stogie White. I believe it later became a fuel barge for the dredge Kentucky, owned by the E. T. Slider Sand & Gravel Co., and was still around in the middle 1960's.

Cary Bird and the Tom and Chris

Here's the CARY BIRD again. This was posted on the old board, but its in one of those unretrievable messages. The CARY was 139x30x5.2 and was built by Marietta Mfg. at Pt. Pleasant in 1925. She ran as a ferry Cairo-Bird's Point starting in May 1925. When the bridge was built there, she was sold to the Ohio River Transit Co., and ran in the Cincinnati-Louisville trade until sold in November 1936 to Greene Line Steamers. Hull was used for a
Cincinnati boat club in 1946.(Ways 0895). The second pix of the TOM and CHRIS at Louisville is in their car-hauling days, is it not? The TOM was 200x38x6, the CHRIS 189x42,6.2.

Thanks, Bill, Alan & Judy. I guess I had known some of this, but in light of the other posts about River Lines, my interests in the Greene's was piqued. Thanks for the inside info. & pics.

The second picture is of the Tom and Chris after they were laid up and before they were sold.

I grew up in Erlanger between 1950-1982. My wife and I moved to nearby Florence in 1982, before moving to Paducah in 1985, where we now reside. In any case I have never lived more than a few miles from the Ohio River. The sights and sounds on and along the Ohio have always been an important part of my life. Kentucky Route 8 and Ohio Routes 50 and 52 offer particularly scenic views along the Northern KY part of the river.

Alan Bates;3605 wrote:
Today, on the Interstates, the trip can easily be done in an hour and a half.
Following one or two tractor-trailer rigs up the hill from Cincinnati to Florence or Erlanger was a very slow and frustrating business. Other long and steep grades were encountered at Carrollton and Warsaw, and all of the curves are sharp. Even today, without the freight movers on US 42, it takes an hour longer to make the trip than on Interstate 71.

How long were they laid up there before they were sold, and why weren't they laid up in Cincy rather than Louisville - cheaper landing fees maybe?

The "remains" of the CARY BIRD served as the wharfboat for the sternwheel excursion boat BONNIE BELLE at Jeffersonville for some years and there was a restaurant on board as well. Later the "fleet" moved to Madison and after the BONNIE BELLE was sold and went to Toledo and other points, the CARY BIRD became "THE WHARF" restaurant. It was towed up the Kentucky River and beached a year or so ago. Capt. Steve Huffman, what is going on with the boat now??????

The owner of the Wharf restaurant (ex CARY-BIRD) moved it to his landing 2 miles up the Kentucky River during high-water in January 2005. He moved it because Madison was trying to change their lease agreement, and it was going to be more expensive to keep it there, plus the integrity of the hull was in serious doubt. (the hull is basically a concrete and foam "sandwich"). After it was beached, the town of Prestonville decided that he needed to put an actual concrete foundation under it. He had already paid thousands to extend the city sewage lines out to the Wharf's location. Last I heard, he may still open it as a restaurant, but it will happen after he opens a new floating restaurant back at Madison. I guess we will see what happens!