Reminisces of Mrs Robb - The Daughter Of A Canal Boat Captain

 

A list of those appearing in this photo is included below.

In August of 1925 the Harrisburg newspaper ran an article with stories from the reminiscences of Mrs. Robb.  Ellen Jane [Miller] Robb was the daughter of Jacob B. Miller, an old canalboat captain.   She grew up not only riding on, but steering and driving, her fathers boats.

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Lock Haven, Aug. 10. [1925] - Of the large number of boatmen and women in this vicinity in the days of the canal less than twenty are still living. In the above picture are shown: 

Front row, seated, left to right, C. A. Lufer, Captain William Gummo, Frank Fabel, E. C. Gibson, Joseph Hunt, Frank Henry, Michael Dennehy and Captain Jacob Scheid. 

Back row, standing, left to right, A. W. Rokenbrod, Miss Catherine Fabel, E. J. Barrett, Mrs. John A. Robb, Mrs. Caroline Barrett and Mrs. E. L, Wolfe. 

Captain Jacob Scheid is one of the oldest canal boatmen living here, being in his eightieth year and Mrs. E.L. Wolfe is the youngest, just past forty. The completion of the West Branch canal from Northumberland to Lock Haven, which culminated in the construction of the dam across the West Branch of the Susquehanna River just east of Lock Haven in 1833 and 1834 was the beginning of an era of unprecedented prosperity in this section. The work on the dam was started in 1833, and 1,500 laborers, largely of German and Irish extraction, were engaged in the  construction of the dam. In the fall of 1833 serious disputes between the two nationalities ended in the peace of the community as well as the lives of the residents being threatened, and it was necessary to to call out the State militia to quell the riot.

The dam, when completed, was 850 feet in length, and the length of the chute was 600 feet. The water was let into the canal first on the night of October 16, 1834, and four days later the first canal boat came through. 

Reminiscences of Mrs. John E. Robb, of 422 East Bald Eagle street, Lock Haven, widow of Professor John A.Robb, who for more than thirty years was superintendent of the Lock Haven schools, give a good idea of the travel the canal in  the old days. 

Mrs. Robb was the daughter of the late Jacob B. Miller, an old canalboat captain, who owned and operated canal boats during entire period of Mrs. Robb's girlhood, and invariably took his family with on his trips, so that her earliest recollections were of life in a canal boat. At little more than kindergarten age Mrs. Robb thrilled when the canal boat passed under the old-fashioned high bridges, which were later replaced by the swinging bridges which swung aside for the boat to pass through, on which there was usually a cargo of small children, getting a free ride.

Took Long Trips

 The longest trip Mrs. Robb recalls making on their canal boat lasted between seven and eight weeks, during which time the family of four and several members of the crew lived on the boat. Captain Miller on this trip took a load of iron ore at Lebanon and carried it to Danville; he then went on Pittston and get a load of hard coal for Elmira, N. Y., and on reaching Elmira found that the coal had been sold to a company in Syracuse, and carried it on to that place, where he loaded his boat with  salt for Wilkes-Barre. On reaching that city he found that a part of the salt had been sold to Juniata Junction, and went on with it to that place. After unloading the salt he proceeded to Huntingdon where he got a load of soft coal for Philadelphia. 

Boats Well Built

 The canal boats were built very well, Mrs. Robb said, explaining that the kitchen was at the foot of the stairway, and told of the compact cooking arrangements, with place for the kettles and pans under the stove, where sort of a cupboard was constructed. There was a tiny dining opening off the kitchen, which served as a living room also. When the boat carried  a small load, or was empty, the children loved to play in the hull of the boat, Mrs. Robb said, and told how they had constructed swings from the rope and hatches, where they swung as they sailed over the smooth water of the canal. There was little frolicking while crossing the river at Clark's Ferry or from Havre-de-Gras to Baltimore, on the rough craters of the Bay, she said. 

At Ferry 

a pilot was furnished by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, who stepped on the boat at the farther side of the river, and steered the boat safely past the danger line. At Havre-deGras there were strings of boats lined up four abreast and six or eight deep, which were taken across the bay steamer.

Drove at Eight Years

 When she was between seven and eight Mrs. Robb drove the mules while the crew were at dinner, and states that the walk along the towpath, which abounded with berries within easy reach of a small girl, was most fascinating. She could ride a mule, too, although her father never encouraged this and before she was 12 years old Mrs. Robb could steer canal boat heavily loaded, and stay in the middle of the stream, although she says this required as much care and constant heavily laden then motor truck, and attention as operation of a especial care had to be given on to the passing of other boats in the canals, the heavily laden boat passing over the lighter laden boat's lines, which were dropped by the one steering the craft.

She was born and lived in Lebanon county until she was about 19 years of age, when she removed to. Lock Haven with her husband, her baby, her parents, and an uncle and family, the three families, with all their household possessions, including a half ton of hay, pigs and chickens, coming to Lock Haven on the Miller canal boat..