Origin
Anthony Rucker the Elder was the original inventor and constructor of the James River Bateau in 1775. It was a boat essentially different from any before that time used on the rivers of Virginia. Rucker’s design was successfully patented many years after its development. The earliest known reference to the bateau comes from Thomas Jefferson’s account book, dated April 19, 1775. Jefferson had been present at the first launching, and forty-six years later he was witness to the successful patenting of the bateau by heirs of Rucker. Unfortunately, none of the original bateaus exist. Some remains were uncovered by construction workers at the site of the James River and Kanawha Canal Basin.
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