Bridgeport, Alabama and Steamboatin' on the Tennessee

By John Lewis

Bridgeport, located in northeast Alabama, was first know as Jonesville. Later, it became Bridgeport, synonymous with the Bridge crossing the Tennessee River, and the community being a river port of the Steamer's of that time. We thought it might be interesting, to show you some of the Riverboats which have frequented this area over the years of the Steamboatin'. 

The R.C. Gunter, Sternwheeler, wooden hull, built in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1886. She was 153' long and 28' wide, drawing 5.2' of draft. Her machinery was from the T.J.Wilder. She was built by the Chattanooga-Decatur Packet Company, headed by Captain R.C. Gunter, who was her Master. The R.C. GUNTER, like the Nathan B. Forrest, was one of the major packet boats operating between Chattanooga and Paducah, Kentucky. The crew on the first trip of this vessel was M.W.Sams, first clerk; John H. Jackson, Mate; Chris Short and Buck McKey, Pilots; George and Henry Pittman, Engineers.  She later went to the Illinois River, and in 18896 was owned by the St. Louis, Hardin & Hempsville Packet Company.  In 1900, Captain Alex Lammond was the Master, with W.C. Colvin and Frank Ebaugh as her Pilots. John and Allie McCann was the Engineers. She was sold to Eagle Packet Company of St.Louis in 1901, and in the spring of 1902, she was in Kansas City running excursions. Captain Harry H. Monaghan was her Master. While on the Illinois River, she was snagged and sank within two feet of the roof. She was raised, and towed to St. Louis, where here machinery was dismantled in the winter of 1907. 

The Gunter family operated two boats, the R.C. Gunter and the Nathan B. Forrest. They also owned the Bridgeport Land Company. Guntersville, Alabama is named for the Gunter's of Bridgeport. In the late1800's Augustus Gunter moved to Texas. My friend Ken Gunter, grandson of Augustus, still has a safe from the Bridgeport Land Company, which was hauled to San Angelo, Texas by rail car. It is green, with a picture of the R.C. Gunter on the front. The safe is huge... and weighs tons, and is still in San Angelo.

  A drawing of the The “R.C. Gunter” being loaded with cotton at Bridgeport – in the 1800's. 

Sternwheeler "ALABAMA", built in 1912 at Point Pleasant, West Virginia. She was 170' Long, 32.6' wide, and had a wooden hull. She was owned by the St. Louis and Tennessee River Packet Company. The Alabama when first built had no Texas deck, but one was added later. She ran from Paducah, Shiloh, Decatur, Guntersville, and Chattanooga until 1929. She was the last regular packet boat operating on the Tennessee River. She was chartered to the Cincinnati-Louisville trade, under the charter to the Louisville & Cincinnati Packet Company in the Spring of 1931. 

The Steamer Chattanooga, was a sternwheeler vessel with a wooden hull, originally the gospel boat MEGIDDO, renamed the Chattanooga in May of 1904. She sank on the rocks in the Big Chain, about mile marker 20 on the Tennessee River, and was badly warped. She was pulled our on the marine ways at Paducah. Captain Walter Blair superintended repairs and she emerged looking very little like her former self, now a full fledged packet boat. She ran out of Chattanooga and once sank there with a large cargo of corn aboard. She became the last packet boat to make trips to Kingston, Tennessee, this was in 1919-1920. Crew on her last trip in that trade were; Captain Paul Underwood, (see botton of page "Underwood's") Master; Joe Farrell, Mate; Harris Underwood, Pilot; Bob Ellison, Chief Engineer; Bob Dobbs, Clerk. Running from Chattanooga to Decatur, Alabama in January of 1921 was Captain Thomas F. Galy, Master. She finally sank for the last time in Chattanooga. (see the Chattanooga pictured with the James N. Trigg,) There were five Steamboats over a period of 71 years named the Chattanooga. 

City of Chattanooga at the Paducah Drydocks

The City of Chattanooga, was a Sternwheeler, with a wooden hull, built in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1892. This vessel was 144' long and 30' wide. The machinery was used from the towboat HERBERT, which was built earlier in 1883. The City of Chattanooga ran from Chattanooga to St. Louis, a long ambitious trade, but one that was not so profitable for the company. She had many delays and troubles in the Muscle Shoals area. In January of 1895, she was released from a sand bar, where she had set high and dry for four months. As the spring rains came, and the river rose, she was released. At one time she was stuck on the sand bar, she was over 300 feet from the river. He Captain was J.P. Kindrick and J.B. Allison was the Pilot. She was sold to Paducah later, and converted into a towboat named WOOLFOLK.

Steamers James N. Trigg at left, and the Chattanooga docked at Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Trigg was built in Decatur, Alabama in 1910. Captain Paul Underwood of Florence was her Master.

The James N. Trigg, docked beside a barge on the Tennessee River, with bags of corn to be loaded onto the Trigg. Note passengers boarding and debarking the boat. A gang plank is used at this docking. If you will note the A frame at the head of the boat, and the extended boom, is a modern new stage for loading and unloading, where wharfs were not available. The James N. Trigg was 158.2' long, and 28.2 ' wide. Her draft was 4.1 feet, enabling her to operate on very shallow water. She was owned and operated by the Tennessee River Navigation Company, and Captain Paul Underwood was her Master. She was built in Decatur, Alabama in 1910, and was blown into the banks and wrecked in a storm at Guntersville in 1921, where she sank. 

The Underwoods.... I had the pleasure of knowing personally, Captain Paul Underwood and his brother Captain Harris Underwood. Captain Paul Underwood served as the  Captain on the Delta Queen, when it docked in Bridgeport in the late fifties. The draw bridge had been hit by lightening sometime around midnight, and the boat was loaded with passengers, who had trips planned the following morning, in Chattanooga. Captain Underwood made the call to dock in Bridgeport and have buses to come and pick up the passengers, and transport them to Chattanooga. I was very young, and had been there, (at the old sawmill) about 6:30 a.m., and wanted to board the boat. They were letting no one board the boat.

About 5:30 in the afternoon, and I was at Hills Service Station in downtown Bridgeport, just hanging out, when this bluish colored station wagon with Ohio plates pulled in, and inquired how to get to the Delta Queen. I was quick to tell him where it was docked, but it would do him no good to go down there. The red headed kind man asked me, "why do you say that young man?" I replied, well.... the won't let you go aboard, so you will just be waisting your time. 

The gentleman asked me my name, and I said John Lewis. He then said, "Well John, can you be down at the Delta Queen about 7: am tomorrow morning??"  I replied,  "I probably could". He then said, well ... I will tell you what, if you will be there at seven a.m., just ask for Mr. Lodder. I said "okay".

The next morning I was there at 7: a.m. sharp, and reluctantly walked out on the gang plank, there stood a man in an erect stature, dressed in a blue uniform with stripes on the sleeve, red faced, and a white cap with scrambled eggs on the bill, smoking a cigarette, in what seemed to be a cigarette holder longer than the one which Mame held, in the Broadway Musical "Mame".  He said; "Can I help you young man?" I was scared, but finally got Mr. Lodder's name out, and he asked, "Are you John?" I said "yes Sir". He said "Come aboard, he is expecting you. I went aboard, met Mr. Lodder, was taken to the elaborate dinning room, with bright white table linens and napkins, seated with Mr. Lodder, and waited on by elegant waitors, to a breakfast I had never experienced. I later learned Mr. Lodder was the Vice President of the Greene Line Steamers of Cincinnati. 

Later, I met Mrs. Lethia C. Greene, the wife of Gordon C. Green. We became friends, and she asked me to come to work on the Delta Queen. Captain Wagner was the Master. Meeting Captain Wagner is a story in it's self. Perhaps I will tell that one later, further down towards the bottom of the page. I went to work in the Purser's office.

Captain Paul Underwood would come on the boat at various times to visit, or to work as a pilot. Captain Underwood was a real gentleman, but he did enjoy a taste of whiskey now and then. His brother Paul would also come on the Delta Queen as a pilot, especially when we were on the Tennessee River. Captain Paul was always more serious than Captain Paul. I have read a lot, and heard a lot of stories about them both. They were both from Florence, Alabama, but had colorful and adventurous careers. They had either been the Masters, Mates, or Pilots on almost every steamer on the Tennessee River during the 1900's. 

I would love to get some pictures of the two men to post on this site, at some future date, because they were legends in their own time. It was a great experience for me to have know both of these men, and I realize that even more, now that I am getting older and reading stories about them, and their adventurous lives. I am sure there are relatives still living the in the Florence area. Paul and Harris Underwood will go down in history, as two men who contributed greatly to the Packet and Riverboat trade on the Tennessee River.  John Lewis

Steamer Joe Wheeler, named for General Joe Wheeler. This boat was built in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1898, was a 155.8 ft. long x 33.5 ft wide sternwheeler, drawing a draft of only 3.5 feet of water, making it easy for her to navigate in the most shallow waters along the Tennessee River. She had a wooden hull, and her engines were 13's with a 4.5 ft stroke. She had two boilers, each boiler 38" long x 20" in diameter. This vessel was owned and operated by the Tennessee River Navigation Company of Chattanooga, with W.C. Wilkes the Manager of the Company. She ran from Joppa, Illinois to Chattanooga until 1907, then Chattanooga to Kingston. She made one trip to Knoxville, taking Government officials. Her machinery came from the J.C. Warner.She carried passengers as well as freight until June of 1918, when the cabin was cut down. After that time she served as a towboat. If you notice the front of the boat, she has the towing bulk heads in this picture. The Joe Wheeler was dismantled in 1919, and the machinery was sold to a Captain Lyerly.

Nathan B. Forrest, This steamer was also owned and operated by the Gunter Family, who operated the R.C. Gunter.

Bessie Smith steaming down the River. This scene actually looks like the Ohio River, and someplace around Indiana. The Bessie Smith was a Tennessee Riverboat.

The James L. Dykes

The T.L. Brown docked someplace along the Tennessee River, as a Baptism is occurring dockside, as the passengers and crew watch. Baptisim was very common in the River in those days. 

The Gordon C. Greene, probably one of the most majestic steamers to ever ply the Tennessee River.