More GORDON C. GREENE pix - crew

More pictures I haven't seen! Must be from CW's stash. I don't know who George Neare is. I will have to ask Mom when I call her next. I love the shot with Buck Leyhe, with Mary B. in one of her trademark black dresses and fancy comb in her hair, and Tom looking so dapper, and Grandpa with the chain on his watch showing, where he always had his watch tucked into his pocket. And the one of Bob McCann also features my grandfather's trademark lettering in the background. What a treat -- you have made my day! Thanks again, Judy.

I will now stop talking about my grandfather and my family.

Lil,

A pure guess on my part, but I would venture to say George Neare is the "Neare" of Neare, Gibbs & Co., marine insurance brokers of Cincinnati.

Dear steamboating colleagues:
I concur with Lil and Bob that Judy's trove of GORDON C. GREENE photos are incredible. Names linked with faces from the long ago in addition to boat views holding great detail. Surprisingly, I've seen not all that much in the line of photos of the GORDON over the years. What 'caught' me, in addition to the cabin lettering of the GORDON, is the lace table cloth in the cabin. I'd opine Bob McCann is celebrating his birthday. That was always a big deal for him--with cake and ice cream.

I bet, Bob, Cap'n Bill Judd can nail the 'George Neare' connection. I'll pull some junk here from the 'dusty boxes' and see if I can find his link in Cap'n Billy Lepper's papers.

Cheers and thanks,
R. Dale Flick

These pictures came from Ralph DuPae, I believe. At any river meeting we both attended, we'd get together somewhere and I'd go through his newest finds and generally write him a check in the hundreds for my purchases...I certainly helped fund that collection that Winona now has! I've got an entire album of GCG pix, so if it doesn't get tiresome, I'll post more from time to time. I figure we are so lucky to have Lil here with her family connection to it and her great remembrances that we need to take advantage of it. And while Dale and Keith were attending S&D meetings when many of these people were there, my first meeting was in 1978, so I never had the privilege of meeting them, so I enjoy any personal recollections of them. I consider myself fortunate to have arrived on the scene in time to get to know Fred Way, CW Stoll, Ruth Ferris, Helen Prater, Charles Henry Stone, Dorothea Frye, John Hartford, and on and on, and to have at least met Letha Greene at an S&D meeting. I remember my first meeting, arriving near the end of the Friday night gathering, and just walking around looking at the name tags, and thinking, WOW, I can't believe I'm here with these steamboating illuminaries...

Hi, Judy, Lil & Bob:
Some quick gleanings here Re: George W. Neare didn't give a positive answer as per Judy's posted photo, but a letter from Capt. Billy Lepper, 1949, states: "The firm of NEARE GIBBS & CO., was headed by Messrs. C.J. Neare, E.C. Gibbs, B.O. Taylor and Taylor Goshorne" [*More on the Goshornes at a future date]. Judy's photo of the GORDON showing George W. Near is interesting from some years before Lepper penned his missive. Lepper joined as began his marine salvage/survey career with NG in 1917 and continued up nearly to his death in early 1950s.

NEARE GIBBS & co., has been absorbed by other big underwriting interests but their accounts today still reference the original company. A lot of high-roller lawyers and underwriters, for sure.

In 1965 Betty Blake-Simcox [*She was married to journalist/news feature writer Jack Simcox at the time known to a few on this web] was doing some 'outside' projects beyond her duty with then GREENE LINE STEAMERS/DELTA QUEEN. Betty did a writing project titled: 'NEARE GIBBS & CO., Cincinnati, Ohio 1865-1965, Steinhauser Press, 1965, 48 Pgs.' I'll have to do an archival research to pull that volume as NEARE GIBBS records are listed but not readily available at this date. Phoned Cap'n Bill Judd for data as he remembers a good deal of that. Bill is either busy or out of town.
Well, what do I know?
Now back to manning the paint brush.

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

Dale: Now that you mention it, I recall that nice history booklet that Betty did for Neare Gibbs & Co. It is full of dandy steamboat pictures. I have a copy SOMEWHERE in my archives and will have to dig it out! Thanks for the reminder!

The picture of Capt. Buck Leyhe with Capts. Jesse, Mary and Tom has always been one of my favorites. We can only "imagine" the steamboat and river talk that was "flowing" when that great photo was taken!

In the picture of Bob McCann, a portion of one of the Gordon's chandeliers is visible. Attached is a photo of a GCG chandelier, formerly displayed in the Midship Museum aboard the Str. Becky Thatcher at St. Louis and now being used to light the stairwell to the basement in my home! Other photos show two views of my "River Room" and some of the "steamboat stuff" I've collected over many decades!

GCG chandeliers

Here are a couple of pix of the GCG chandeliers on the boat. Note the eagle on each, because the CAPE GIRARDEAU was owned by the Eagle Packet Co. Keith and I each got a chandelier in 1982 when Riverview Antiques in Marietta purchased the stuff from the Becky Thatcher, which had been in Ruth Ferris' Midship Museum. (I remember Ruth's chandelier hanging in her bedroom). While Keith's chandelier was fixed and installed within a week of purchase, mine is still down in the basement along with a stateroom door. I did get the pilothouse running light rewired and it is a beacon in my main steamboat room now. CW's notation on the second pix: Right table l to r: Larie A. Greene, Stella Metz, Betty Metz, Letha Greene 3) a closer view of Capt. Jesse's lettering the name

Lil: Please don't ever stop talking about your grandfather and your family! One of the best things about this board is the terrific opportunity it provides for all of us to learn more about steamboating and river people -- as well as to answer questions and provide help to others whenever we can.

You have an absolutely fabulous river heritage and I, for one, will NEVER tire of hearing more about it! I know there are many others who also appreciate your postings. So, please keep up steam and THANKS!!!!!!!!!

Gordon C. Green pix

Hi Judy: That young man in the high chair, next to Letha, is Gordon C. Greene II. Quite an amazing photo.

So that would date the pix about 1938-39.

Thanks Judy! Those scenes in the cabin of the GORDON are dandies! The third picture really shows the chandeliers as well as Capt. Jesse's wonderful lettering of the boat's name. Capt. Roddy Hammett once told me that he was aboard the RIVER QUEEN at St. Louis shortly before she sank in '67 and that the GORDON C. GREENE name in the cabin had been painted over, but was still visible through the paint to those who knew where to look for it. That Capt. Jesse was a marvel with a paint brush, whether on a canvas, a cabin or engineroom bulkhead -- or even on the roof of a wharfboat!

Gordon C. Greene

Judy My guess would be no later than 1937. Gordon C. Greene II was born on 8-6-1935

Steamboating colleagues:
Judy's GORDON C. GREENE photos are incredible and really brightened a dark, stormy day here in Ragtown on the Ohio. I like the fine lettering done by Capt. Jesse P. Hughes in gold in the aft cabin.

Cap'n Bill is no doubt correct on the little one in the high chair being Gordon C. Greene II. It isn't Mary or Jane. I'd opine humbly this shot of the table group was on/around 1937/'38. Stella Metz and daughter Betty Metz were long-time friends of the Greene family. There was a saying for years here that the Greene family knew more people than the tax collector. Larie Greene [Capt. Chris Greene's wife] is on the left talking to Letha. Larie's maiden name was 'Sticksel' [Sp?]. Larie and Letha were always well dressed conservatively and beautifully groomed. Larie lived near me here in town and we attended the same church for a number of years after marrying Lou Mueller following the death of Capt. Chris. Lou, as I recall, was an advertising man. She passed away in 1993 on/around age 90 after a stint in a local nursing home. Others seated at tables around in this photo are unknown to me.

The Greenes valued their employees of long years standing and, as Doc Hawley spoke at the Sep. S&D meeting, "made a place for old retainers." This sense of 'noblesse oblige' was also reflected by Alan Bates and Keith Norrington with the Howard family toward their employees in bad times. There was a long-time black employee named 'Lamb' from, I 'think,' New Richmond [Help here Bill] who suddenly died on the GORDON down around/at Louisville. In those days things had to be handled promptly with Larie and Capt. Chris tending to his arrangement and burial personally. Later Larie directed members of the Lamb family to his burial plot. That's the way it was in those days. These photos give us a sense of the 'hominess' of the GORDON as recalled by Capt. C. W. Stoll and other old veterans who "where there then," During W.W. II many families skimped with shortages planting gardens and even raising chickens in their yards. I recall Letha Greene mentioning they did the same thing.

Again, thanks, Judy, for the 'window on the past.'

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

Yes, he's the same age as Doc, within days in fact. I just don't know how to judge how old a kid is! See my new thread for another pix with young Gordon and Mary too.