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STEUBENVILLE -- "From Canoes to Showboats: A Century of Change" is a new exhibit to be unveiled at Historic Fort Steuben on Monday.
The exhibit consists of educational panels, models, music and other information. The exhibit gives an overview of the Ohio River in history, the development of river transportation and its impact on commerce and culture, particularly in Steubenville and the Upper Ohio Valley.
"Many of us drive over the Ohio River daily or drive along it on the Ohio River Scenic Byway or state Route 7 without thinking about its history or the people and events associated with it," explained Judy Bratten, executive director of Historic Fort Steuben and curator of the exhibit.
"In the past we've had a small display devoted to the river and the beautiful side- and sternwheel steamboats that sailed on it, but I wanted to expand it and make it an annual exhibit. With assistance from Ohio Humanities, we could make that start. I believe this is just the beginning of a project that will grow in the coming years," Bratten noted.
Bratten noted she was able to hire a summer intern to do the necessary research for the program.
"Navy veteran Jimmy Huckabay, a student at Franciscan University of Steubenville, previously worked as a deck hand on riverboats on the Columbia River and provided additional insights and direction as the project developed," she said.
"There is so much more I had hoped to include this year, but we simply ran out of time. The hardest part was deciding which was most relevant from the vast amount of information that Jimmy collected," Bratten noted. "We have dozens of human interest stories from 19th century newspaper articles and journals of the time as well as from families who had kept their genealogical records. I may try to compile them into a booklet until we can produce additional panels next year."
She noted she and Jimmy often lost track of time as they read some of the dramatic accounts written by riverboat passengers or witnesses of early travel on the river.
"There were many explosions and collisions of the steamships, especially before the river was improved by locks and dams and the advent of electric lights. One humorous account tells of a riverboat that struck a rock, which made a hole in her hull that was filled with barrels of sugar. The ship managed to make it to the Steubenville wharf before she sank, filling the lower deck with water. After pumping the water out, they found the contents of the barrels had become the consistency of cream and leaked out. The commentator wrote that the town youth had a grand time filling themselves with the sweet stuff," related Bratten.
"On the other hand, there is the heartbreaking account of a ferry boat crossing from Steubenville to West Virginia carrying a horse and buggy with five passengers. The horse spooked, broke the safety ropes and fell into the water with the carriage and the people within. Unfortunately, one young lady, a 13-year-old girl, a 2-and-a-half-year-old boy and a 3-month old baby drowned in the mishap. Such tales were not uncommon," continued Bratten.
Bratten also referenced the Riverboat Mural, which is located up the street from Fort Steuben, as well as the Riverboat Room in the Jefferson County Historical Museum that has a large collection of photos and memorabilia from the many riverboats that were built or stopped in Steubenville.
"Marietta has an outstanding museum, as does Wellsville. Riverboat enthusiasts can easily spend a few days visiting these sights as well as our exhibit," Bratten added.
This program is made possible, in part, by the Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The exhibit will run daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday through Oct. 14 at the Fort Steuben Visitors Center, 120 S. Third St.
An opening program will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday. Groups can arrange special hours to view the exhibit by calling (740) 283-1787, according to Bratten.