Title	"Trimble--Madison and Milton Landing
Subject	Ferryboat; Ferryboat landing; Madison, Indiana; "Trimble"; Ohio River; Rivers; Riverboats; Steamboats; Steamboat accidents
Description	The inscription on the old picture reads, "Madison & Milton Ferry Landing--1908." The landing at Madison and the ferryboat, "Trimble" looked much like this during the winter of 1917 and 1918 when some of the worst weather of the century hit much of the United States. Blizzards and unusually cold temperatures froze the Ohio River from one end to the other. The "Trimble" was caught in the ice and when the gorge broke loose she was cast into the floe. Great blocks of ice slashed her hull and churning water nearly capsized her, but she got a full head of steam up and managed to stay afloat, though she was badly damaged. On July 13, 1918, the Madison Courier carried this story: "The ferryboat "Trimble" which has been undergoing repairs for several months due to extensive damage by the ice last winter, was successfully launched at 9:30 this morning. The boat is moored alongside some barges at the Madison coal company's landing and she sits as trim as a new craft. The "Trimble" will not be ready to resume her trips between Madison and Milton for some time, as new wheels have to be built for her. Her wheels were torn to pieces in the great ice breakup last February. The boat was extensively damaged by the ice and her hull had to be practically rebuilt. New rudders, the starboard wheelhouse and guard rails were rebuilt. The work was done by a crew of Madison ship carpenters. When the Trimble" was cut down by the heavy floes , it was believed she would be totally destroyed, but skillful handling saved her. The ferry was built more than 20 years ago at the Madison shipyards to succeed the old "J. C. Abbott" which for many years did the ferry business. The work of launching the boat began several days ago, but an accident resulting from a broken cable delayed the work of getting the boat in the water." The "Trimble" served until 1928, when the Madison-Milton Bridge put her out of business.
Creator	Unknown
Contributors	Madison-Jefferson County Public Library; Jefferson County Historical Society
Date	Photograph taken 1908
Type	Photograph
Format	Original: tif, scanned at 1200dpi with a MicroTek ScanMaker 9800XL. Online: jpg, saved at 72dpi.
Identifier	"MJCPLriver5043-madmiltonferry"
Source	MJCPL Historical Files Inscription on photograph Madison Courier (July 13, 1918)
Rights	Permission to reproduce this image for other than personal use must be requested from the Director of the Madison-Jefferson County Public Library. Please contact at 420 W. Main St., Madison, IN 47250 (812) 265-2744.