\u00a0\u00a0 One of the earliest records of Capt. James Lee founder of the Lee Line Steamers comes from the book Steamboatin on the Cumberlin by Byrd Douglas on page 55, which records him as captain of the steamer PARAGON which sank June 29, 1843 on the Cumberland River 10 miles from Eddyville, Kentucky (western Kentucky).\u00a0\u00a0 Way’s Packet Directory makes no mention of a steamer PARAGON from or around 1843.\u00a0 Way’s list two steamers named\u00a0PARAGON however both boats were built much later.\u00a0 Steamboatin on the Cumberlin also records Capt. James Lee as captain of the steamer OLD HICKORY.\u00a0 Way’s Packet Directory records\u00a0the following about the OLD HICKORY\u00a0as a “sternwheel packet, wood hull, built at Louisville Kentucky 1845, 445 ton capacity, 250 feet long x 33 feet wide x 7.3 foot draft.\u00a0 Commanded by Capt. James Lee, Memphis.\u00a0 Off the list 1850.”\u00a0\u00a0 Page 82 of Steamboatin on the Cumberlin also records Capt. James Lee as captain of the steamer BLANCHE LEWIS.\u00a0 Way’s Packet Directory records the following for the BLANCHE LEWIS, ” sternwheel packet, wood hull, built Dycusburg, Kentucky 1855, 155 ton capacity.\u00a0 When completed she ran Nashville-Paducah, sank at Nashville, Nov. 5, 1860.\u00a0 Machinery went to steamer LAWRENCE built 1863 Cincinnatti OH.\u00a0\u00a0 Memphis Down in Dixie by Shields McIlwaine records that Capt. Jim moved to Memphis in 1856 when he was 48 years old after he had already spent 27 years on steamboats.\u00a0 Capt. Jim was born near Dover Tennessee in 1808.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0\u00a0 One of the earliest records of Capt. James Lee founder of the Lee Line Steamers comes from the book Steamboatin on the Cumberlin by Byrd Douglas on page 55, which records him as captain of the steamer PARAGON which … Continue reading