Towboat on the Ohio

by James E. Casto

Overview

To get a personal look at what it is like to work on the Ohio River, newspaperman James E. Casto spent eight days aboard the Blazer as it traveled the Ohio from Huntington, West Virginia, to Pittsburgh, up the Allegheny and the Mongahela, and then back to Huntington. The Paul G. Blazer, a gleaming white towboat owned and operated by Ashland Oil, pushes a group—or "tow," as the rivermen call it—of nine barges on this trip. Along the way, Casto introduces us to Captain Ronnie Davis, pilot Ronnie Burge, engineer Steve Bellomy, the mates, the deckhands, and the cook, as well as the river itself, the life and the beauty that are the Ohio.

Interwoven with the narrative of the trip upriver and back is the history of commerce on the Ohio—of how the flatboats and keelboats gave way to the steamboats and how, in turn, the steamboats were replaced by today's powerful, diesel-powered boats such as the Blazer.

Mark Twain wrote that the Mississippi had a new story to tell every day. The same can be said of the Ohio. As engaging as it is informative, Towboat on the Ohio tells one of the many stories of the busy, hardworking Ohio River.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813129709
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	06/16/2010
Series:	Ohio River Valley Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James E. Casto, associate editor of the Huntington Herald-Dispatch, has written articles on the Ohio River for several periodicals.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Towboat on the Ohio
River Talk: A Glossary

Editorial Reviews

Our inland waterways and particularly the Ohio River system are crucial to the economic vitality of our region. In our fast-paced modern day lives, with the interstate highway bridges, it is easy to forget the importance of the river. Jim Casto's book recalls our attention to the life of the mighty Ohio in a personal and easy style. His book is a valuable addition to the lore and literature of the Ohio River.

Dan Lacy

Recounts not just a narrative of [Casto's] trip but also the colorful history of commerce on the Ohio, along with stories about the communities that grew up along the river and were nurtured by it.

The Ironton Tribune Herald-Dispatch

Interweaving Ohio River history among his firsthand accounts of towboat travel and life, Towboat on the Ohio kept me turning the pages.

Editor of HeartLand Boating Molly Lightfoot Blom

The leisurely voyage provides an occasion for reflection on the history and current condition of Ohio River navigation, engagingly delivered by a seasoned journalist of the region. James E. Casto was born by the riverside. He writes from a lifetime of observation, and from his heart.

Ken Sullivan

"Recounts not just a narrative of [Casto's] trip but also the colorful history of commerce on the Ohio, along with stories about the communities that grew up along the river and were nurtured by it." — Herald-Dispatch, The Ironton Tribune

"The leisurely voyage provides an occasion for reflection on the history and current condition of Ohio River navigation, engagingly delivered by a seasoned journalist of the region. James E. Casto was born by the riverside. He writes from a lifetime of observation, and from his heart." — Ken Sullivan, Editor, Goldenseal

"Our inland waterways and particularly the Ohio River system are crucial to the economic vitality of our region. In our fast-paced modern day lives, with the interstate highway bridges, it is easy to forget the importance of the river. Jim Casto's book recalls our attention to the life of the mighty Ohio in a personal and easy style. His book is a valuable addition to the lore and literature of the Ohio River." — Dan Lacy, Ashland Oil, Inc.

"Interweaving Ohio River history among his firsthand accounts of towboat travel and life, Towboat on the Ohio kept me turning the pages." — Molly Lightfoot Blom, Editor of HeartLand Boating

From the Publisher

Interwoven with the narrative of a trip up the Ohio River on the Paul G. Blazer towboat is the history of commerce on the Ohio, describing the transition from flatboats to steamboats to diesel- powered boats and detailing the development of the river's locks and dams and the efforts of the Army Corps of Engineers to modernize the system. Includes b&w photos and a glossary. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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