Talk:Montana (steamboat)

Personal account

An anonymous user posted a personal account that does not fit with the history of this steamship Montana nor the civil war era ship of the same name. I am loath to delete it, however and will post it here...

[In 1866 Captain Thomas Burgess Davis resumed steam-boating, conducting a line of his own from Memphis, Tennessee, up White River to Augusta, Arkansas. He made his home at Memphis till 1873, when he removed once more to Rock Island, Illinois, and entered the U. S. Government service, in the capacity of Captain of the United States Steamer Montana. For three years he served under Colonel Macomb of the United States Engineer Corps, then in charge of the Upper Mississippi River Improvement. In 1877 he took a Government contract to convey up the Missouri, Yellowstone and Little Big Horn Rivers (the latter never before navigated), the material for the building of Forts Custer and Keough, in Montana, the freight being secured at Bismarck, Dakota, then the Western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad. This was immediately after the Custer massacre, when the region in which he operated was full of great peril. Captain Davis, however, knew no fear, and fulfilled his contract with promptness and with satisfaction to all concerned. http://www.accessgenealogy.com] [He was accompanied by his son, Sam Davis [Samuel Sharpe Davis], who performed the duties of clerk. In later years, Sam related that, at Fort Custer, his father had received aboard the Montana boxes containing the remains of General Custer and others which he later delivered to Army authorities at Fort Lincoln. -DD]

It is unsourced and maybe refers to a different ship? DocGratis 15:22, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

I post this [below] in response to uncertainty expressed above concerning the identity of the Montana (or, at least, one of the Montanas). Capt. Davis was a veteran of the War Between the States and may have held a military commission at the time of the voyages to Montana. Perhaps the Steamboat Montana mentioned here was commissioned by the Army Engineers to give it the protection of the U.S. Government while it was under contract to deliver supplies to Montana, perhaps not. Is this something that would have been done? A military vessel would, by its presence, establish the navigability of inland waters and thereby secure admiralty domain by passage over water. Perhaps further research will uncover the terms of the actual contract. Some of the details were independently related to me by F.W. Davis of St. Paul who reported his source as S.S. "Sam" Davis himself and they are consistent with this Biographical History entry. As an aside, "Sam" told his grandson that members of the crew of the Montana inspected the box said to contain what was left of Gen. Custer and determined that its contents did not at all resemble human remains. -DD

Davis, Samuel Sharpe The following data is extracted from Biographical History of Rock Island Illinois. http://www.library.uiuc.edu/hix/genealogy/county/roc.html

In considering those among Rock Island's citizens whose activities have been directed toward developing that city's industries, and whose foresight has been rewarded in a most substantial manner, one's mind instinctively turns to the subject of our present sketch, Samuel Sharpe Davis.

He was born February 1, 1858, at Covington, Kentucky, his parents being John, B[urgess]. and Anna E. (Sharpe) Davis. To this couple three children were born: Thomas B., Samuel S. and Mary. The parents were of Scotch-Irish origin. Thomas Bodley Davis, the paternal grandfather was a native of Pennsylvania. In early life he moved to Kentucky, and for some years served as captain of a steam boat plying between Pittsburg and New Orleans on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Upon one of the trips up river from New Orleans he was stricken with yellow fever, and died before the completion of the journey. At the time of his death he was thirty-four years of age.

The maternal grandfather, Samuel K. Sharpe, was a native of Kentucky. He was a practicing physician and surgeon. The greater part of his life was spent in Maysville, Kentucky. He removed to Rock Island with his wife in 1875. Her death occurred in 1881 at the age of seventy-six years. Her husband survived her nine years, his death occurring in Rock Island in 1890, at the extreme age of ninety years. Dr. Sharpe was a remarkably strong man, both physically and mentally and was of pronounced religious conviction, giving his adherence to the Presbyterian faith. In politics he was a Democrat.

John B. Davis, the father of our subject, followed the calling of his father, that of a river captain, almost his entire life, principally upon the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. For some time he had charge of Canadian Government boats carrying the supplies of the Hudson Bay Fur Company on the Sackatchewan River. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to the rank of major and for nearly three years he served with his regiment. He was with his regiment in the battles of Chickamauga, Mill Springs, Corinth and Tullahoma. At the battle of Chickamauga he was wounded. During the time that Major Davis served with his regiment it was attached first to the command of General Buell and later to that of General Thomas.

After the close of the Civil War Major Davis, went to Augusta, Arkansas, and later located at Memphis, Tennessee, in 1868. He settled permanently in Rock Island in 1874. He spent the greater portion of his life upon the river in command of the different river packets. After coming to Rock Island he was one of the Diamond Jo Line captains until about one year before his death, which occurred in 1890. when he was sixty-one years of age. His wife still makes Rock Island her home. Politically Major Davis was a staunch Democrat. He was a prominent Mason and a devoted member of the Presbyterian church, in which faith he died.

Having thus passed rapidly over the points of interest in the lives of the forebears of our subject, we now come to treat of his life. His education was obtained in the schools of Memphis, Tennessee, and in Rock Island. In 1873 he was employed as clerk on the steamer "Montana," a boat commanded by his father. He continued in this service for several seasons, attending school during the winter months. In 1876 his father had a Government contract to carry supplies from Bismarck, Dakota, up the Missouri, Yellowstone and Big Horn Rivers to the place where the Custer massacre occurred. Upon this expedition he was accompanied by his son. Upon their return to Rock Island the son was employed as clerk for J. H. Langley, who was agent for a line of boats in the St. Louis and St. Paul trade. On January 1, 1878, he was employed by Thomas Yates, in Moline, where he was engaged in the plumbing and steam fitting business. He continued in this employment until the death of Mr. Yates, which occurred in 1881. Mr. Davis and his brother, Thomas B. Davis, had obtained a number of valuable patents upon steam appliances, and together with Jacob Riley, of Rock Island, they formed a partnership known as Davis & Company They bought out the business interests of the Yates estate, both in Rock Island and Moline. In 1882 the Davis brothers bought out Mr. Riley's interest in the business and continued it themselves until 1891, when the Davis Company was incorporated by them.

Meanwhile our subject was engaged in many important operations. He planned and superintended the construction of the Moline Waterworks, which was begun in the spring of 1884. He also installed the first electric light plant in the City of Moline. In 1886 he constructed the Davis Block in that city, and as secretary and manager of the Merchants' Electric Light Company lighted the streets of Moline. Eighty arc lights were installed, which superseded the old street gas lamps, with which the city had formerly been lighted.

In 1887 the Peoples' Light and Fuel Manufacturing Company was organized. Of this organization Mr. Davis was elected secretary and general manager. He purchased the stock of the Moline Gas and Coke Company and merged the institution with that of the Merchants' Electric Light Company.

In 1888 the Merchants' Electric Light Company of Rock Island was organized. In the autumn of that same year a power plant was erected in Moline so arranged as to utilize that city's splendid water power in its operation. The machinery of the Peoples' Light and Fuel Manufacturing Company of Moline, as well as that of the Merchants' Electric Light Company of Rock Island, was removed to this new power plant. This arrangement led up to the formation of the Peoples' Power Company in 1893. This latter organization, which included the companies in which Mr. Davis was already interested, bought out the Rock Island Brush Electric Light Company and the Rock Island Gas and Coke Company. Both of these plants were removed to Moline, where they were located at the foot of Fourth Street in that city. Mr. Davis planned the reorganization and also the construction of the new plants. He sold his interests in the Peoples' Power Company in 1906.

On September 21, 1892, occurred the marriage of Samuel ,Sharpe Davis and Miss Apollonia Weyerhaeuser, the daughter of Frederick and Sarah Weyerhaeuser. One child has been born of this marriage, a son, Edwin W. Davis.

Mr. Davis in his church allegiance is a Presbyterian, and is a trustee of the Broadway Presbyterian Church, of Rock Island. In politics he is a Democrat, but he has never desired or held public office. Fraternally he is a member of Trio Lodge No. 57, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Barrett Chapter No. 18, and of Evarts Commandry No. 18, Knights Templar. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Modern Woodmen of America. Such are the interesting events in the career of a man, who through business sagacity and acumen, has risen to a commanding position in this locality's financial and industrial circles. Mr. Davis is a man universally liked by all who are acquainted with him. Although at all times a busy man he is easily approachable. In manner he is unassuming and without ostentation. He is one of Rock Island's most public spirited and progressive citizens, and no movement for the real advancement of the city is launched that does not receive his active and hearty cooperation, and where the project is one that requires financial subscription his gift is always a liberal one. In fine it may be said that Mr. Davis is pre-eminently an organizer and an executive, a man of great business talent, and a courteous, kindly gentleman. -DD

Photograph Requested

As of right now the Missouri River should be very low to where you can get out to the site and get some pictures of the wreck. The internet is surprisingly dry of Free Images of the wreck site so e could use someone to get out there and upload the photos to Wikipedia or to the Commons and place them on this article. Thank You. Sawblade5 ^{(talk to me | my wiki life)} 19:50, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

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