KEELBOATS

Keelboats were long, narrow crafts that come to a point at one or both ends (the bow and/or the stern). They linked the northwest and southwest frontiers of the United States and continued to do so even after the introduction of the steamboat in 1811.

Keelboats moved along waterway currents. Going downstream, a keelboat could carry up to thirty tons of cargo and travel at about five miles an hour. Traveling upstream was more difficult. Return trips, often from New Orleans to Pittsburgh, could take as long as four months, traveling sometimes at a pace of less than one mile per hour. The boatmen poled, paddled, or pulled the boat by hand.

Powering keelboats against the currents of the Mississippi, Ohio, or Allegheny Rivers required keelboat workers to have incredible strength and endurance. The boats frequently had to be towed with a rope or "corde" upstream, where currents were too strong for rowing. The crew climbed over rocks and cliffs and waded through swampy waters at the river's edge to pull the boat, always alert for venomous snakes, alligators, bears, wildcats, and wolves.

When snags or quicksand prevented keelboat crews from cordelling, they used the arduous technique of warping. Warping involves tying a rope to a tree, returning to the boat, and hauling it hand over hand up the river.

Through the determination and strength of keelboat workers in the 1800s, settlers, their belongings, livestock, and freight were transported throughout the nation's interior. Keelboat workers were paid an average of $10 to $20 per month and provided to a vital link to the nation's interior, contributing to the nation's westward expansion.