Long Ago on the Louisville Levee

I'd put money on it being the M/V JEFFERSON of American Barge Line

I'm taking the money off the table, the more I thought about the photos I remembered the the PATRIOT was almost identical to the JEFFERSON even though built in different yards. Still leaning toward the JEFFERSON.

The railroad "High Line" has been gone since maybe 82-84 somewhere along in there. In the area under or very near the High Line and the substation was a very short stretch of cobblestones during that time. Not granite block but actual stones, probably about as large as a man's fist.

I was looking at a photo recently of the Str. TOM GREENE's wheel just upriver of our wharfboat along with a photo of the Str. CHRIS GREENE. How, exactly did they lay the decks out to get cars on the boiler deck? Any pics showing this? How long did these boats carry cars, as opposed to running excursions? What was the fate of the Str. TOM GREENE? Sorry to throw all these questions out at once, but these two boats have grabbed my curiosity, especially since they were such a familiar sight around Louisville. If I can figure it out, I'll try to post the pics I have of these two boats.

Tom greene

The hull and main deck of the TOM was used for years as a wharfboat office for Walker in Paducah. I went aboard during a DQ shore stop and when I told someone I was just looking at the TOM, they looked bewildered. The TOM was brought up on shore next to the CHRIS' dirt-filled hull just upriver from Cincy at Dayton Ky., in April 2000, where the TOM was then cut and scrapped. Bobby Harrison was the owner and said he was cutting out the name and giving it to either the Greenes or to a museum. Whether he did that or not, I don't know. There were pix in the Reflector of Keith and me climbing around both hulls in a spring snowstorm during an MOR weekend. This turned out to be the week just before the TOM was cut up. Here are a couple of those pictures, hopefully Keith will find better ones. The CHRIS' hull still serves as an overgrown flower pot on the Harrison property there at Dayton. The passenger cabins were removed in 1936 in order to haul the cars, and this trade ran until 1947, when George Harrison bought the CHRIS to use at the Dayton Yacht Club, and the car hauling was just discontinued on the TOM. The TOM was sold to Commercial Barge LIne in 1950, but they didn't use her and eventually sold her to Walker Boat Yard in Paducah.
Picture 1 - The TOM's hull and main deck superstructure behind me and my purple Cirrus. The CHRIS' hull is upriver of the TOM.
Picture 2 - While you can't see the snowflakes, it was flurrying and the makeshift gangplank was slick, but that didn't deter us from climbing aboard.
Picture 3 - The TOM GREENE lettering is visible above my head.
These were taken in April 2000 and were in the September 2000 Reflector, along with a short explanation of the event.

another old Louisville Levee shot

Here is another shot of the same era of the TOM and CHRIS at the wharfboat in Louisville.

They built a ramp on the lower end of the wharfboat to reach the boiler deck. The cabin bulkheads were removed and a short raised portion of the roof provided overhead clearance for the autos. This was done in about 1937. The cowboys who drove those brand-new Fords tore down the wharf, bounced over the stage, then gunned the cars up the ramp. Then there was a screech of brakes as they slowed(?) in a tight turn forward to keep from going overboard on the port side. The boarding procedure tested acceleration, drive trains, steering, brakes and drivers to their ultimate limits.
This was a two-way traffic for the Greene Line. Chevrolets built in Cincinnati came to Louisville and Fords went from Louisville to Cincinnati. They also used the Cary-Bird in this trade. Starting in about 1940 or -41, maybe later, the Ouachita's cabin was removed and trailers were hauled on its deck, being towed by the Tom or the Chris. Other deck barges were also used. The trailer business drew the ire of the Teamsters Union and a strike in 1952-3 killed the traffic and the Greene Line packet business.

The short section of roof that was raised for overhead clearance can be seen on both boats. I never saw the Chevrolets arrive because they were unloaded during my high school hours. The Fords were loaded in the afternoons.
If I remember correctly that wharfboat was built of four deck barges welded together by cross beams. I may be wrong about this. The Greene line still carried a lot of other freight, loaded the old-time back-and-belly and hand truck way by roustabouts. They even used a few old-time hand barrows. They hauled canned goods, lube oil in 55 gallon drums, plumbing fixtures, and any odd-lot things going to Cincinnati and a few points between. Northbound runs were about 12 to 15 hours. Southward they made better time, about ten to twelve hours. Runs were made at night, starting at 5:00 PM.

I know the TOM GREENE was used as a barge to haul cars for several years in the early to mid 50's after the engines, superstructer, etc. were removed. I guessing here, it was probably owned by Commercial Carriers.

Tom & chris greene, lss #10

Here's a few pics of the TOM and the CHRIS. There wasn't any info. on these pictures when I got them, so I'll let it torture the curiosity of all the photo sleuths out there!

Here are a few more images from that windy, frigid Saturday morning in April, 2000 when Judy and I paid our respects to the remains of the TOM and CHRIS GREENE, together one last time before the TOM was scrapped. The rising river was lapping all around the beached hulk and the snowflakes were stinging our faces, but we had a great time tramping around on the main deck of the TOM, thanks to Capt. Bill Judd, who had called Bobby Harrison to alert him that two steamboat lunatics would be visiting!

(1) Str. TOM GREENE - April, 2000.
(2) TOM GREENE name on bow.
(3) Keith on bow - in the distance is the nearly buried hull of the CHRIS GREENE.

MORE of the Str. TOM GREENE's final days...

(1) Str. TOM GREENE bow - Judy under the guard taking photos. April, 2000.
(2) Str. TOM GREENE main deck, looking aft - April, 2000.
(3) Str. TOM GREENE - 1952 - being towed away after being sold to American Commercial Barge Line. Note the sternwheel is missing bucket planks.