Captain Martin Luther Hissem
Career-in
his own words
From the family files at the Campbell County Historical Society
"I received my first license in 1879 and bought the steamer Tempest at Wheeling, W Va. and entered the trading business operating between Cincinnati and Newport to Wheeling, remaining one year. I then went pilot on the steamer W P Thompson in the Cincinnati & Chiloh trade and remained perhaps 2 years. I then bought the steamer Burnside and entered the Cincinnati & California (Ky.) trade, and after a few months traded for the steamer T D Dale, and continued in the trade through summer and fall season when I sold my boat and bought an interest in the steamer Tacoma and her trade, and took command.
At this time I bought the steamer Olivet and sent her to the Cumberland River trade, remaining myself, on the Tacoma about one year, then I brought the steamer Clarksville, continuing in the Cumberland trade, myself in command for two years. Then I entered the Green river trade with the Clarksville, continuing about 20 months, the closing of the Government locks for repairs induced me to sell out.
I then built the steamer Lee H Brooks, an excursion boat, and ran one season in the excursion business between Cincinnati and Coney Island and sold her. Here I entered the Cincinnati & Chilo trade in charge of the Tacoma, having bought a half of the stock. After some little time I bought the entire interest and rebuilt the boat, which I think was 1894. Continuing in this trade until 1902, when I sold boat and trade to the Louisville & Cincinnati trade, being in command.
After one season there, I went to Vevay, Indiana, and kept the wharf boat in the interest of the L & C Packet company, and remained three years. This brings me to 1906. In 1908 I bought the steamer Levi J Workum, an opposition boat, running from Cincinnati to Madison Indiana, a distance of 100 miles. Operating this boat one year, I put this boat's machinery into a new hull and named her Kentucky and continued her in the trade until 1917, when the breaking up of the ice, destroyed almost the entire fleet of boats operated by the company.
While I have given a general account of my employment, it is not to a day, or to a boat, for I was transferred from one boat to another of the same line, which included the Bonanza, Lizzie Day, and City of Louisville. The time operating my own boats was about 23 years. The aggregate is correct extending from 1879 to 1917.
Bought the steamer Tempest in
1879-ran in the Cincinnati and Wheeling trade
Harry in 1881-Towing trade in Harbor
Burnside in 1882-Cincinnati to California
T D Dale in 1882-Cincinnati to California
Olivet in 1887-Cumberland river trade
Clarksville in 1888-Green river trade
Built the Lee H Brooks in 1891-Coney Island excursions
Tacoma in 1894-Cincinnati & Chilo
Sold boat & trade to Cincinnati & Louisville
Packet Co and entered their service in 1902
Kept Vevay wharf boat in 1903
Sold Vevay wharf boat in 1908
Bought Levi J Workum in 1908
Built steamer Kentucky in 1909
Left the company's employ in 1917
During this 15 years employment, I was working in the trades of the Company between Cincinnati & Louisville Ky. & the Madison Cincinnati trade, on various boats, viz. Bonanza, Lizzie Bay, Levi J Workum, Kentucky, City of Louisville, City of Cincinnati, & Tacoma. My service ended when their boats were destroyed by the heavy ice flow of 1917."