KNAPP, Oscar

KNAPP, Oscar. ( ). Knapp operated a floating commissary out of Dubuque around 1905. His boat, the "OK," carried supplies including groceries, dry goods, shoes, tobacco, and whiskey down the MISSISSIPPI RIVER and then up the Missouri through the Dakotas to the mouth of the Yellowstone River. (1) The crew included: Captain - Abe Mitchell - Clinton, Iowa

Pilot - Tom O'Rourke - Dubuque, Iowa

Chief Engineer - John Schwartz - Dubuque, Iowa

Asst. Engineer - Thomas Forbes - Mondak, Montana

Firemen - Harry SHAW - Dubuque, Iowa, and Robert Trombley - Dubuque, Iowa

Deck hand - Herman Kuhen - Hermann, Missouri

Cook - Mrs. John Schwartz - Dubuque, Iowa.

The steamer "O.K." made several trips up the Yellowstone River carrying freight for the U.S. government, to Glendive, Montana, in the fall of 1905, and froze in Nov. 8th of the same year.

In the spring of 1906, she was taken to the upper Missouri to Milk River, and from there to Fort Benton, head of navigation on the Missouri River. The mountains were reached and so ended the mountain trip steamer "O.K." from Dubuque, Iowa to Fort Benton, Montana.

The "O.K." ran in the packet trade the summer of 1906 and 7 on the upper Missouri between Fort Benton and Milk River, Montana. Trading with ranchers and Indians, each trip the "O.K." had on board tons of supplies such as flour, smoked meats, canned goods, tobacco, clothing and any other commodities. One might say that the steamer "O.K." was a floating commissary. She was doing a thriving business in this trade when the end came.

The steamer "O.K." became disabled and it burned with a total loss on the banks of the Missouri River in the month of June, 1908, at Fort Benton, Montana. (2)

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Source:

1. Grimm, Maud. "Retired Engineer Misses the River," Telegraph Herald, December 7, 1960, p. 21

2. Shaw, Harry. "A Mountain Trip by Steamboat," http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/gasconade/bios/ss-ok.txt