Capt. Stacker Lee

Posted on May 18, 2015 by leelinesteamers

When cotton shipping season began in September and rouster crews were difficult to recruit, Capt. Stacker would take his walnut cane and walk from the Beale Street landing where Lee Line boats were moored and walk up Beale Street and into the dive bars and brothels and loudly announce “indeter is coming and bellies will be empty and there will be no food for those who do not work.”  Rousters who worked on Lee Line boats knew they could find a meal on board Lee Line boats during the cold slow winter months.

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LEE LINE ad circa 1895 1896

Posted on May 16, 2015 by leelinesteamers

The Lee Line extended service onto the Ohio River following the bankruptcy of the St. Louis and New Orleans Anchor Line, which occurred in 1894.  The St. Louis and Tennessee River Packet Co. resulted from the merger of several smaller Packet Lines following the demise of the Anchor Line.  Previous to the Anchor Line bankruptcy, the Lee Line stopped at Cairo IL.  Following the Anchor Line ceasing operation, the Lee Line placed a wharf-boat near the Eads Bridge in St. Louis.  In 1904, the Lee Line advertised excursions to the St. Louis Worlds Fair.

LEE LINE Ad

 

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Rouster song

Posted on May 11, 2015 by leelinesteamers

This rousterabout song was taken from Capt. William Tippitt’s History of the Lee Line

De rousters in da cabin,
Eatin from de plate
De Captain on the levee
totin in de freight
De Stewart and de pilot
De cook and de clerk
Is humpin on de gang plank
Doin rousters work.

Wages on the Memphis River front in 1890 were $100\month for pilots
and $60\month for rousters.

These pictures are from my brother George’s collection and depict rousters moving coal from a barge onto the boiler deck storage bins.  The boat is unknown but the location is probably on the Mississippi River.

031 ROUSTERS 2_1 030 ROUSTERS_4_1

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KATE ADAMS caught out

Posted on May 5, 2015 by leelinesteamers

 

 

Kate Adams pictures 2  The bottom picture shows the KATE with model T run-about which she carried frequently.  Both pictures are from my friend Ed Provine’s collection.  The top picture I believe is the KATE ADAMS (2nd) and the bottom picture KATE ADAMS (3rd).

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Capt. James Lee Sr. also known as Sunrise Jim

Posted on April 3, 2015 by leelinesteamers

In the 1840’s and 1850’s steamboats did not furnish breakfast to the passengers or crew members if the boat arrived in port before sunrise.  Capt. Jim had a reputation for making sure that his boat always arrived in port before dawn.   Years later he also had the reputation for having the “best table” on the river.  Farmers and planters brought him their best produce knowing that he would purchase whatever they brought to the river for him to examine.  In the 1870’s and 1880’s he had disagreements with his sons James Lee Jr. and Stacker Lee about how the table should be set.  Capt. Jim’s food bill doubled the cost of the stewards pantry whenever he was aboard a Lee Line boat.  Later the Anchor Line of St. Louis put into place what was called the “restaurant plan” where passengers paid for their meals ala carte.   His son Capt. James Lee Jr. tried to enact this change but was overruled by Sunrise Jim.  Other Memphis steamboat men also rejected the restaurant plan as well.

 

 

CAPT JAMES LEE cleaned up image

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Lee Line Excursion brochure circa 1911-12

Posted on March 14, 2015 by leelinesteamers

Lee Line guide front pageLL brochure p2

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Pacific Mail Steam Packet Co.

Posted on March 13, 2015 by leelinesteamers

Interesting spoon circa late 1880’s early 1900’s.  A person definitely knew where they stood when dining on a PMSP steamer.PMST full view PMST 2nd class

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1900 Lee Line Annual Pass

Posted on March 6, 2015 by leelinesteamers

This 1900 Lee Line pass is a new addition to my collection of passes.  The other passes are quite interesting as well.

1900 Lee Line pass D A Loomis 1897 Canadian RR D A Loomis 1900 D A Loomis 1895 D A Loomis 1897 D A Loomis and wife 1910

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James Lee 3rd

Posted on February 26, 2015 by leelinesteamers

James Lee 3rd had a brief career working for the C H Karr Company a river and industrial supply company.   His father Capt. James Lee Jr. took over the business sometime in 1887 or 1888 following the companies financial difficulties and renamed the business Lee Brothers Co. which became the sole supplier to the Lee Line for all repair and maintenance items.  James Lee 3rd worked for Lee Bros. for a brief time before engaging in a number of business ventures and occupations prior to his passing in 1919.  He married his fathers law partners daughter Bodine Warinner.  Together they had one daughter Sadie Ardinger Lee.  They are buried in the H C Warinner family plot at Elmwood Cemetery.

Warinner Elmwood plot

James Lee 3rd son of James Lee Jr. and Capt. James Lee Sr.

James Lee 3rd son of James Lee Jr. and Capt. James Lee Sr.

Bodine Warinner wife of James Lee 3rd Elmwood Cemetery Memphis, TN

Bodine Warinner wife of James Lee 3rd Elmwood Cemetery Memphis, TN

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Stacker Lee final resting place Elmwood Cemetery Mphs. TN

Posted on February 25, 2015 by leelinesteamers

Stacker Lee Elmwoodstacker Lee anchor Elmwood

Samuel Stacker Lee is buried in his wife’s family plot in Elmwood Cemetery.  Stacker was the younger brother of James Lee Jr.  A newspaper account reported Stacker becoming sick with Yellow Fever sometime in the early 1880’s.  He recovered but died at a fairly young 46.   Several years after his death, his widow Lizzie Lee and son moved to California.

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