Dugout Cottonwood Trees To Steam Waverly's Early Commerce

For an estimated 10,000 years people have used the Missouri River for trade and transportation. First by the Native Americans, their dugout cottonwood trees were used up and down the river, then the French Fur Traders in their Pirogue or Bateau, which is what they called their dugout cottonwood trees.

In 1807, a French fur trader and explorer, Manuel de Lisa, passed Waverly on his way to the Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers following the trail of Lewis and Clark to trade with the Indians.

In 1811, Manuel de Lisa was in one of the most unusual races ever on the Missouri River. The race was between two rival fur trading companies. One party was partly owned by the well known John Jacob Aster Expedition, outfitted with keel boats, they traveled by Waverly to the mouth of the Nodaway River just above St Joseph, Missouri and spent the winter of 1810. They shoved off from there on April 21, 1811, meanwhile Manuel de Lisa left from St Louis on April 2, 1811 and overtook the Astor expedition at the great bend on the Missouri River at Lyman County, South Dakota on June 2nd 1811. The had traveled 1100 miles in 61 days, or a average of 18 miles per day, setting a keel boat record.

Before Robert Fulton invented the steam engine there were many different boats that passed or stopped at the Waverly Wharf. In addition to the dugouts, pirogues, bateau, and keel boats, there were Bull Boats which was a frame covered with buffalo hide, the flat Boat which was flat at both ends, a barge which was a large flat bottomed freight boat, the Mackinaw boat which was like the keel boat. The keel boat was called that, because it had a keel which allowed them to use sails. Most keel boats were 50 to 75 feet long and had a beam of 15 to 20 feet, with a pointed bow and stern, and could carry 10 to 20 tons of cargo. There was a cabin in midship with a walkway on both sides so that the crew could walk along the boat while poling it up the river. The crew's consisted of 20 to 30 men and on larger boats had a crew of 100 men. These crew men used poles, oars and a cordelle which was a rope sometimes over 300 yards long so the men could walk on the banks and literally pull the boat up river. This would cause the men to develop large and painful blisters that would become infected on their hands and shoulders.

The steam engine was invented and the boats became bigger and great specimen's of marine architecture. The were generally about 250 feet long and 40 feet wide. They luxurious cabins and carried 300 or more passengers and had a freight capacity of 500 to 700 tons. These boats were all painted a gleaming white, and two black smoke stacks with a decorative device in between them.

The first steamboat to pass or stop at the Waverly Wharf was the WESTERN ENGINEER, with three other steamboats, the R. M. JOHNSON, the EXPEDITION, and the JEFFERSON. The JEFFERSON had the dubious honor of being the first steamboat to be sunk by a snag at the Osage Chute. The R. M. JOHNSON, the EXPEDITION made it to a point near Atchison, Kansas. The WESTERN ENGINEER went on to Fort Missouri at Council Bluff, Iowa. The WESTERN ENGINEER was carrying troops and supplies for the Army. It was a fierce looking boat with a Serpentine Head constructed and painted on the bow and it would blow out smoke, getting the attention of the Indians.

The steamboats would sound their loud steam whistle and town folks would go to the wharf to see the boats and the stevedores would load and unload the boats. At various times there would be Show boats that would stop at the Wharf's and provide entertainment. The GOLDEN ROD was a show boat that made stops at the Waverly Wharf and the last time I saw it, it was tied up at the St Louis River front, still looking great.

During the Golden Years, the 1800's there were over 300 steamboats that traveled the Missouri River and at times There were two or three tied up at Waverly wharf. Many of the Waverly families had members who were on the river in various times. I will not try to name them all because I don't want to overlook anyone. But two come to my mind and they are Captain Fremont and Captain Henry Thomas. Captain Thomas came from a family that worked on the river, with the first ferry boat and he worked his way up to be a master. He was the master of the A. M. SCOTT, when the river created a new channel from Wellington to Napoleon on July 14th 1915. He became master of the SERGEANT FLOYD when it was commissioned in 1932 until he retired in 1942. Captain Gerald Fremont was the master of the MISSOURI, which was a snag boat and a number of Waverly citizens worked on this vessel, which was very important to navigation, in that it would pick up snags and run them through the saws and either use them for fire wood or drop them in the river. Another boat which was seen in Waverly, was the WILLIAM BLACK, this was a dredge boat that worked on keeping the channel deep enough for the steamboats.

There were many hazards for the steamboats, the three biggest hazards were snags, boiler explosions, and fire. The sand bars and rocks and bends would also cause grief for the pilots and owners. The bends were often named for the steamboat that sank at that point such as BALTIMORE BEND and MALTA BEND. Fifty nine steamboats sank on the Missouri during a eighty year period of the 1800's. One of these steamboats sank just east of the old Waverly bridge. It hit a snag and started to sink and the Captain ran it aground across the river from Waverly, some of the local people went in their boats to rescue the passengers and no life was lost, but there are 300 barrels of Kentucky Whiskey buried across the river. Nineteen boats are sunk from Waverly to Fire Creek, just above Napoleon

The Captains of these steamboats had colorful names such as "Steamboat Bill," "Curly Young," "Miami Thorp, "Catfish Charley," " Barrelhouse George," and "Hot Rocks Klein." The Heritage of the Missouri is still with us and will always be. The local River Rats , are a new generation of Luther Carry's and John Bonk's that are fishing and boating on the River, along with the fishing tournaments will keep the glamour and mystique of the ole river going for ever.

Submitted by John Hinz