Steamboat Era Museum Oral History Project

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Carrie Kline, Michael Kline

  • These interviews were recorded with residents of the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula of Virginia during 2003 who knew much about the history of steamboating in the region. Included were many now no longer living, who worked on the boats and wharves, those who rode them as passengers and crew, and those who shipped produce and manufactured items or ordered goods for delivery. At the time, copies of the recordings were provided to the Steamboat Era Museum in Irvington, Virginia for use in various educational programs.

    To browse this collection and others, please visit the Berea College Special Collections & Archives: https://bereaarchives.libraryhost.com/

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Interviewee Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
William Crosby Steamboat Era Museum Oral History Project

Mr. Crosby was an African-American raconteur, a Lancaster County legend, who founded a snack shop just north of White Stone on Rt. 3. A veteran of the fishing industry, he knew every aspect of boating and sold seafood in Richmond over a forty-five year period.

 Carrie Kline, Michael Kline Unknown Talking Across the Lines, Berea College Special Collections & Archives
Frances Simmons & William R. "Billy" Rowe Steamboat Era Museum Oral History Project

Part 1. Frances Simmons (1928-2018). Widow of C. Jackson Simmons, Irvington historian, attorney and author, Frances Simmons wove together a cohesive picture of life about her father’s farm, including threshing machines, 4-H fairs, Adams Floating Theatre, beach excursions, dinners at home for family and black farmhands, wagon travel, and stevedores singing while loading goods on the wharves. Mrs. Simmons concluded her testimonial with recommendations for the Steamboat Era Museum.

 Carrie Kline, Michael Kline , Irvington, VA Talking Across the Lines, Berea College Special Collections & Archives
William John Cowart, Jr. Steamboat Era Museum Oral History Project

With a father and grandfather who ran a cannery at the steamboat wharf, John Cowart's telling brought to life the Adams Floating Theatre, the rich singing of the Black men in his family’s oyster house, and the dynamic interaction at the country store.

 Carrie Kline, Michael Kline Unknown Talking Across the Lines, Berea College Special Collections & Archives
Gazelle Moore Steamboat Era Museum Oral History Project

Interview with Gazelle Moore

 Carrie Kline, Michael Kline Hudgins, VA Talking Across the Lines, Berea College Special Collections & Archives
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