NW-Mailing-List Digest, Vol 43, Issue 46

[NW Mailing List]

In other parts of the country flat boats were also called something
like "batteaux", french for flat bottom boat I think. They were used
wherever the rivers were partially navigable and were often if not all
the time, a one-way affair. the Shenandoah River had them and after
the Shenandoah Valley RR was completed, it basically put them out of
business after the last few years; 1889 is the year I have read for
there. But there were numerous others, of course.

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>

> Message: 1

> Date: Thu, 28 May 2009 12:56:21 -0400

> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Subject: RE: N&W in 1909--Law Case navigable stream

> To: "'NW Mailing List'" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Message-ID: <200905281652.n4SGq7As011384 at mail.wvstateu.edu>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>

> Well, for what it is worth, I can remember my grandmother telling how my

> great grandfather took a day to make several trips on a horse taking all the

> family and household goods down to the Tug river on Blackberry Creek (on the

> KY side) and taking all of them on a boat from there to Portsmouth.  Best I can recall, it was on something she called a flatboat. She was a Hatfield,

> and they moved during the period when all the shooten was going on with the Mc Coys.  I think Blackberry Creek hits the Tug up river from Matewan about a mile. I would guess about 5 or 6 miles down river from Delrome, so it must have been navigable at least from there during part of the year back then.



> Bob Huston



> Bluefield Daily Telegraph

> September 25, 1909