Alexander's middle name was Martin, and I have seen references to him as 'Mart' Alexander. Bill Coulter On Sun, Aug 3, 2014 at 11:11 PM, Randi Richardson via <inmonroe@rootsweb.com > wrote: > > > Bloomington (Monroe County, Indiana) Telephone, January 17, 1913, p. 1 > (late > edition). NOTE: Other records indicate that W. M. Alexander is aka > Williamson M. Alexander. Wikipedia defines freshet as "a flood resulting > from heavy rain or a spring thaw." The same source defines side wheeler as > a type of steam-powered paddle boat. > > > > FRESHET RECALLS OLDEN TIMES > > When Boats Went from Monroe County to New Orleans > > > > "This January freshet reminds me of the old days from 1840 to 1861 and also > a few years after the war when flat boats went twice a year from > Harrodsburg > and Mt. Tabor to New Orleans," said Capt. W. M. Alexander while calling at > The Telephone office this morning. > > > > "In those days, freshets generally came in January and June, and with each > freshet a number of flat bottom boats would leave Harrodsburg and Mt. Tabor > loaded with pork, wheat, corn and other supplies and drift into New > Orleans. > The flat boats would be built and loaded in readiness for the rains, and > when Bean Blossom raised, the journey started. > > > > "Several men at Harrodsburg and Mt. Tabor made it a business of running > these boats down the Mississippi. At New Orleans, the boats were > abandoned, > and their crews returned to New Albany by a river side wheeler. From New > Albany, they came by stage or walked the 100 miles if they happened to be > out of money. > > > > "There were a good many tragedies connected with this mode of getting the > supplies to market and several local men mysteriously disappeared on the > trip down the Mississippi or at New Orleans." > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > INMONROE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >