Indiana and Indianans (Volume 2 ); A History of Aboriginal and Territorial Indiana and the Century of Statehood

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1919. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... site; second, to be not far from a river where a flat-boat could be loaded with produce. The money paid for the produce to load the boats brought great prosperity to the country. On the lower Mississippi, where the great sugar plantations were, there was a great demand for this provision. A boat would tie to the bank near one of these immense plantations and Primitive Grain Mill (Preserved at Indiana University--Said to be first used in State) would sell the owner a half boat-load of meat, corn and flour. It took one of these boats a month to run out of the Wabash down to New Orleans. They would sell their load of produce and then sell the boat. These old boatmen were a jolly, generous, light-hearted set of men, and would often lash their boats together and float for several days and nights in that way on the lower Mississippi. This description does not apply to the Pittsburg flat-boat men or those from the upper Ohio, running coal barges down the river. They were, in many instances, a lot of desperadoes.'3 But another enterprise was early under way. In 1799, Louis A. Tarascon, a French merchant of Philadelphia, sent two men to examine the Ohio and Mississippi, with a view to ascertaining the feasibility of building ships at Pittsburg, and sending them to the ocean. On a favorable report, a shipyard, with all necessary appurtenances, was established at Pittsburg; and in 1801 his firm built there the schooner Amity, of 120 tons burden, and the ship Pittsburgh, of 250 tons. Both of these vessels made their way safely down the Ohio and Mississippi; thence to Philadelphia, and on to France, returning with cargoes of French goods. As they passed Marietta, in May, 1802, the brig Mary Avery, of 130 tons, which had been built there, was making ready to start, and ...