The Famous “Block P” Line - Conclusion

(By Dan R. Conway)

Continuing the sixth in a series of articles dealing with the history of navigation on the Upper Missouri river as first printed in the Hysham Echo May 5, 1927

John H. Charles

“John H. Charles of Sioux City has seen eight and ten steamers landed at Sioux City at one time. Charles made his first trip up the Missouri in 1850.

“He has always taken an active interest in the Missouri river transportation and has owned steamboat properties since the early sixties. He and a partner, A. H. Wilder, of St. Paul, sold out a line of half a dozen steamers to Durfee & Peck, fur traders; and in 1879, Charles helped to organize the Benton Transportation company. At one time this company owned eight or ten steamers, but now it has but two small freighters plying the upper Missouri, Its officers have remained the same as originally organized. They are: T. C. Power, Helena, Montana, president; John W. Power, vice president; J. H. McKnight, treasurer; John H. Clark, secretary; and Isaac P. Baker, Bismarck, N. D., superintendent.
“The Benton line had the steamers, Benton, Helena, Rosebud and one other when they started, but gradually acquired more. The trade was between Sioux City and Fort Benton, a distance of 1,800 miles. Durfee & Peck owned the C. W. Meade, Pennah, Silver Lake and others, and the Missouri River Transfer company owned many boats. Besides these, there were hundreds of individual boats on the river.

Old River Pilots

“There are but a few of the old steamboat men left in Sioux City, who were in active service on the Missouri river. One of these is Captain W. H. Gould, who is still in the service. (Written 27 years ago.) He is master of the government steamer Josephine. The Josephine is probably the oldest steamer in service on the Missouri river, she being in the neighborhood of 25 years old. She has been repaired so often that there are but few of the original planks remaining in her hull. (It was this same Josephine which in 1875 successfully navigated the Yellowstone river to within 60 miles of Yellowstone National park.)
“Captain Gould has been in the government service since 1883. Prior to that time he was in the employ of the Benton Transportation company.

“ ‘Navigation has always been hazardous on the Missouri,’ said Captain Gould, speaking of his career. ‘We often would go aground on a bar and remain there for several days. Sometimes we would spar off by unloading the freight on a barge. Then I have had to abandon boats altogether until the river would rise and float them off the bar.’

“Captain Gould recalled a number of the Missouri river captains and what became of them. They are (written 27 years ago):
“Captain Grant Marsh, Captain W. R. Massie and Captain John Massie, all in St. Louis; Captain John LaBarge died at the wheel of the Helena in St. Louis; Captain Joseph LaBarge, died in St. Louis; Captain Joseph Fecto, at Carondelet; Captain Joseph Todd died at an Ohio river point; Captain John Todd, on the Ohio river building boats for Alaska; Captain S. B. Coulson, died at Yankton; Captain William Coulson, died at Alleghany City, Pa.; Captain Henry King, at Chamberlain, S. D.; Captain mark Coulson, died at Sioux City; Captain B. F. Horn, died at Pierre, S. D.; Captain Nelson Todd, died at Sioux City; Captain Frank Maratta, on the Ohio river; Captain D. M. Maratta, on the Ohio river; Captain John Williams died at St. Louis; Captain John Williams died at St. Louis; Captain Ed Anderson, at Sioux City; Captain Andrew Johnson, died at Bismarck; captain William Simms, in the Klondyke; Captain William Perkins, on the Ohio river; Captain Dave Campbell, lives in Sioux City; Captain Ben F. Temple, lives in Sioux City; Captain Joe Leach is at Running Water, S. D.; Captain C. W. Bunt, Captain John M. Belk, and Captain T. D. Mariner are at Bismarck; Captain Richard Wolfolk and Captain James McGary died at Bismarck.

The Old Boats

“Among the steamboats which plied at and above Sioux City, recalled by Captain Gould, were the Lady Grace, Flirt, Last Chance, General Tompkins, Emily, Yellowstone, General Terry, Castalia, General Sherman, Don Cameron, Zaphyr, Jenny Brown Scully, Nellie Peck, C. K. Peck, Northern Pacific, E. H. Durfee, Niobara, General Rucker, Silver Lake, Sioux City, Far Wet, Key West, Montana, Western, Wyoming, Dakota, Big Horn No. 1, Rosebud, Bachelor, Josephine, Helena, Benton No. 1, Tacona, Black Hills, Ida Reece, Eclipse, Benton No. 2, Little Missouri, Ida, Fontanelle, Antelope, Mollie Moore, Silver Bow, North Carolina, Urilda, Fannie Barker, ST. Luke, Bertha, Andrew Ackley, Deer Lodge, Only Chance, Admiral Farrague, Guydon, Miner, Lacon, Hiram Wood, Aurelia Poe, Peter Balen, General Meade, Big Horn No. 2, General Custer and Nile.”

Today, the sole surviving officer of the Benton Transportation company, and one of the very few men now living who were actively associated with steamboat traffic on the Big Muddy, Captain Isaac P. Baker, lives at Bismarck, N. D. Practically all of the pilots mentioned by Captain Gould in the above interview given 2 years ago, have long since passed on.
It is a long step back to the palmy days along the old river; and, although it cannot be definitely said that steamboating on the Big Muddy is a thing of the past forever, it is a fact that the golden days of the sixties and seventies can exist again only in the memory of those few now living who were fortunate in witnessing them.

There’s a trail that winds out thru the mountains,

Thru the prairie dust velvety gray,

Thru the fords, thru the coulees, and gulches,

A trail that grows dimmer each day.

You can’t make it without an old-timer

To guide you and make you his guest,

For that trail is the long trail of mem’ry

That leads to the heart of the West.

– By Robert H. Fletcher.

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