Oasis on the Ohio

Oasis on the Ohio. . The Ohio River – freeway of the past! Just as we depend on roads to carry our goods, the river connected people and their goods before railroads and highways. River towns dotted the Ohio, thriving on the exchange of goods and services enabled by steamboats. The floating dock at Rising Sun was particularly useful for shipping, since it could be reached at any river stage, allowing as many as 100 loaded boats per year to make their way as far as New Orleans., Contents of those boats might include farm equipment, fine woolens, or hogs. The quiet riverfront you see now once billowed steam and smoke and echoed with the noise of boats and shipbuilding. Rising Sun was the birthplace of nine steamboats., While the Ohio River gave opportunity to Rising Sun, it also took its toll. Front Street was once lined with buildings and homes on each side. A collapse of the river bank in 1849 sent the entire southern side of Front Street and its buildings into the river., Historic row houses, built as early as 1812, stand along Front Street today – tributes to a historic past and vibrant, present-day Rising Sun. Early industries along the river included a tanyard established in 1813 and a floating mill anchored abreast of the town. Col. Pinkney James, a local entrepreneur, erected a cotton mill at the upper end of Front Street in the 1830s which was fully driven by steam. Its capacity was estimated at 100,000 pounds of cotton yarn per year. The Empire House Historic Hotel, on Front Street, has survived two major floods!, By the Way: The steamboat “Rambler” had an eventful life. Built in Rising Sun in 1847, she collided with the steamboat “Princess” on her first trip to New Orleans. After repair, she made only a few trips to Cincinnati before she was smashed by a large tree near the river bank!, [Captions (left to right)] , . Steamboat unloading at the Rising Sun wharf. Ohio County Historical Society , . House located on the riverfront in Rising Sun. Ohio County Historical Society , . The arrival of a steamboat. Ohio County Historical Society