Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Company - St. Louis Voyage

St. Louis Voyage

In the year 1811 Joseph left Philadelphia with the intention of traveling on horseback to St. Louis, Missouri, and other places in what was then the south and west part of the United States, for the purpose of extending the business of the firm and collecting debts due to it. While stopped at Brownsville, Pennsylvania, he saw a fellow Quaker standing in the doorway of a store and struck up a conversation. This new acquaintance proved to be Elisha Hunt, who, with his brother Caleb, were conducting a mercantile business there. Joseph was invited to dinner with the Hunts, who then proposed that if Joseph White would give up his travel on horseback and assist them in building and freighting a keel boat, Caleb Hunt would in the spring join him on the trip to St. Louis, thus making a more pleasant journey, with favorable prospects of a successful mercantile venture. Such an arrangement was agreed upon. Joseph White spent the winter at Brownsville, the boat was built, and freighted with general merchandise and in the spring of 1812, Caleb Hunt and Joseph White, with a crew of French-Canadian boatmen, started her from the landing at Brownsville, Pennsylvania, bound for St. Louis, Missouri.

After reaching St. Louis the merchandise was sold, partly for cash, the balance to be paid for in lead, which was to be delivered at St. Genevieve, Missouri, during the spring of 1813. Having successfully disposed of their goods, and ascertained that the St. Louis merchants, who were indebted to White & Lipponcott, were unable to pay the debt, the friends turned their keel boat down the Mississippi river homeward bound. They entered the mouth of the Cumberland river, where, not finding an opportunity to sell their keel boat, it was committed to the charge of Joseph Wood, to sell, freight, or charter. Joseph White bought a horse of Wood for $50, and with Caleb Hunt, left Smithland on the 6th of 7th month, 1812, at six o'clock A. M., on horseback for the journey home.