the Katie Prather Steamboat
by Philip Newton
June 30, 2024
My great-grandfather, Captain William Wilson Prather, was born December 16, 1844, In Buena Vista, Scioto County, Ohio. He moved to Manchester Ohio before the Civil War. He enlisted in the 91st Ohio Volunteer Regiment in October, 1863, attaining the rank of sergeant and mustering out from service in June, 1865. His brother, John Henry Prather, served with him and was wounded in battle. The Prather brothers participated in numerous documented engagements, primarily in Virginia. There were two documented successful engagements between the 91st and Confederate commander John S. Mosby's raiders. The Prather brothers fought with the 91st in the Shenandoah Valley, and were engaged at the famous Battle of Cedar Creek against the army of Confederate general Jubal Early. Union General Philip Sheridan's famous ride was documented by John H. Prather.
Captain William W. Prather obtained a Masters License and operated the Katie Prather, a packet steamer named for his eldest daughter.
Captain Prather is noted to have built the Katie Prather in 1881, but it appears, from schematics preserved in R.M. Lintner Riverboat Collection at the Indiana Historical Society, that Captain Prather purchased an unpowered tinware trading boat and added an engine with a single boiler and side wheels in 1881. This might explain the tonnage discrepancies of 49 tons and 31.02 tons, and the place of building as either Manchester or Cincinnati. He is stated as running her from Maysville to "Fairgrounds" carrying passengers at ten cents per fare.
Captain Prather sold the Katie Prather to his pilot, George Edgington, in 1882. Captain Edgington operated her between Manchester and Maysville, making two trips daily, towing cargo and produce. He also made regular trips to Vanceburg and Cincinnati. George Edgington's son, Captain John Emory Edgington, started his career as a cook on the Katie Prather at the age of 11.
Captain William Prather died on August 23, 1919, and is buried at the Manchester Cemetery in Manchester, Ohio.
The following account is excerpted from Ohio Southland, 1991 Issue 2 It quotes my second cousin, John Richard (Dick) Lawwill, whose mother, Mabel Prather, was my grandmother Nell's sister. Both Nell and Mabel were the younger sisters of Katie Prather, for whom the steamboat was named. Quoting from Dick's memoirs:
Perhaps I will be forgiven if I insert a short story about Cousin Dan 7 - I'm not sure it's true, but it's a good story nevertheless...ln later years, someone asked Boone. 'Daniel, when you were exploring and chasing Indians in the forests and prairies...didn't you ever get lost?' The old scout...drawled. 'Well, no I was never lost, but I was bewildered for three days once...' Dick's father was Edward Thomas Lawwill (born 1865), son of John Kerr Lawwill and Amanda Shelton Lawwill. They lived in the small rural community of Ellsberry in Brown County, Ohio. Dick's father was one of 18 children, and Dick has a family photograph taken in 1892, with an item from a Maysville, Kentucky newspaper reporting: "J.K. Lawwill and wife, a venerable couple living at Ellsberry, Brown County, Oh, celebrated their golden wedding...with 14 of their children present." Dick Lawwill says he can understand why his father used to say that everyone in Adams County was his cousin.
Now for Dick Lawwill's mother's family. She was Mabel Prather Lawwill, daughter of William W. Prather and Rebecca Shriver Prather, who lived most of their married lives in Manchester. Dick's grandfather Prather became known as "Captain William" when he purchased and operated a small steamboat on the Ohio River. He loaded tinware at Cincinnati, peddled it upstream to Charleston, West Virginia, took on crockery there and sold it on his way downstream. His boat was named "The Katie Prather" after his daughter.
At this point we must include a story about "The Katie Prather" which has come down through the years in river lore, and was told to Dick Lawwill by Fred Way, a river historian and author. This is how Dick tells the story: At the Thanksgiving season (the boat owner) had arranged to pick up several crates of turkeys from a farm on upper Brush Creek. At the riffles in the creek, the boat barely cleared the shallows. They proceeded to the farm, loaded the crates of turkeys and hurried back downstream, (but) the boat could not clear the riffles.
Undaunted, the owner directed his deckhand to remove the turkeys from the crates and fasten their feet to the deck. With the turkeys in place, he commanded 'full forward speed' and blasted his blunderbuss over the turkeys. The frightened birds flapped their wings wildly, and over the riffles went 'The Katie Prather.' chugging merrily on its way to Cincinnati to provide the main course for many Thanksgiving dinners.
- Ohio Southland, 1991 Issue 2
Editor's note: Steamboats of that era could fly over the rapids. Probably better to have those turkeys helping than just sitting there in boxes.
We want to thank Phil Newton for his family ancestry and research on this boat. He sent photos of the architectural plans for the boat and a model boat that appears to be a good replica.
