CINCINNATI - CITY OF CINCINNATI
(1882 - 1927)


HISTORY

In 1881 Captain J.W. Pierce began supervising the construction of the steamer "Cincinnati" for the Burroughs Brothers at the Boatlanding in Jamestown, NY. She was a two deck boat 132 feet long with a 26 foot beam. She was a fancy affair with colored sky-lights in the upper cabins, picket fence railings around the second decks and the finest furnished ladies cabins ever on the lake.

She was launched on April 8, 1882 and made her first regular trip on May 10th of the same year under the command of Captain Ernest Burroughs and Clarence Burroughs engineer. Throughout the 1880's she was in the middle of the rivalry amongst the lines of the day. Ramming at the docks and fare wars were common.

In 1891 the "Cincinnati" was bought by the Chautauqua Steamboat Company and renamed the "City of Cinncinnati" and for the next 35 years she was one of the hardest worked boats of the company making three round trips a day during the season.

One noteable mishap occured on August 8, 1908. She struck a submerged pile while landing at the Chautauqua dock. It ripped a ragged hole in her side and water poured in. Fortunately she was close enough to the dock that a gang plank could be used to get the passengers hastily to shore. She was subsequently patched, pumped out and then towed back to the Boatlanding by the "City of Buffalo". She was soon repaired and back in service but not after some minor changes were made. The removal of the ornamental bridge on the hurricane deck and the substitution of rope netting instead of the picket fences around the second deck.

On November 8, 1913 the "City of Cincinnati" along with the other boats of the Chautauqua Steamboat Company were sold to A.N. Broadhead and S.B. Broadhead. The "City of Cincinnati" continued regular runs until the Broadhead interest decided to discontinue steamboat service on the lake in 1925.

In 1927 she was purchased by Fred Rowland who moored her in a channel dug off the Outlet. He used it as living quarters for a while as did a few other people until around 1937. On February 13, 1939 at about 9:00 PM she was completely destroyed by fire. The cause of the fire was unknown, but it was speculated that tramps using her as temporary quarters may have been responsible.


"CITY OF CINCINNATI"
LAST DAYS
ALONG THE OUTLET - JAMESTOWN, NY

Fred Rowland's place off the outlet Jamestown NY circa 1936.



"CITY OF CINCINNATI"
FINAL RESTING PLACE IN CHANNEL OFF CHADAKOIN RIVER
JAMESTOWN, NY NOVEMBER 2006

What is left of the hull ribs look like a row of little moss covered frogs at the waters edge.


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