Bio: Henry Miller Shreve, Caddo Parish La Source: Chronicles of Shreveport and Caddo Parish, Maude Hearn O'Pry, 1928, Submitted by: Kay Thompson Brown ********************************************************** ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ************ HENRY MILLER SHREVE HENRY MILLER SHREVE was born October 21, 1785, in Burlington County, New Jersey. He was educated in western Pennsylvania. While quite a boy, he became interested in the navigation of western rivers. We find him in 1810 taking lead on barges between Galena river and New Orleans. lit tact, lie was the first American to take a cargo of lead to New Orleans. He established a business that heretofore bad been in the bands of the British. In person, he was a man of fine appearance with a face marked by indomitable energy and resolution; reserved and rather strange in manner; temperance in habits; brooking no disobeyence of orders or interference with his duty, he was eminently fitted to command the "wild and wooly" spirits with whom he came in contact as a bargeman on the Mississippi, or as a government contractor on the Red River. He planned to work on the northern rivers during tile winter and return to Red River when the water was low. Thus working his way up year by year, he reached Shreveport in 1835. During the war of 1812, Mr. Shreve was a blockade runner on behalf of the United States Army. In the battle of New Orleans, he commanded a field battery and conveyed it to Ft. St. Philip by protecting his vessel with cotton bales. In May, 1815, he ascended the Mississippi River in the "Enterprise," as far as Louisville, making the trip in 25 days and the event 'vas celebrated by a public dinner in Shreve's honor. Shreve is definitely mentioned as "captain" in several works. He built the Washington on a plan of his own invention with improvements that made it superior to Fulton's boat. By using a cam-cut-off that be devised, he was enabled to save three-fifths fuel. In March his vessel made its first trip laden with passengers and freight, and demonstrated its superiority. When its success was thoroughly demonstrated, Fulton and his associates, claiming the exclusive right "to navigate all vessels propelled by fire and steam in the rivers of said territory," entered suit against him and seized his boats-the Enterprise and the Washington-and the cause being carried to the Supreme Court was decided in Shreve's favor. Thus it is that the West is greatly indebted to Captain Henry Miller Shreve for securing free navigation of their waters by a test of the validity of Fulton's claim to his monopoly. In 1826, Mr. Shreve was appointed Superintendent of western river improvement, which place he held until 1841. During that time be had charge of removing the Great Raft, which extended more than 160 miles. And in consequence the Red River was opened for a distance of 1,200 miles. Captain Shreve built the snag-boat "Heliopolis" in 1829 for removing snags and sawyers" from tile Ohio river, and in that same year he invented a steam marine battering ram for harbor defense. Henry Miller Shreve is mentioned as an inventor and ship builder in many works. He is mentioned as having become a captain on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in 1810. He came to the Red River with the "Archimedes," "Souvenir", "Java" and the "Pearl." Before he had finished removing the Great Raft, the boats were so nearly worn out that Shreve built a new one which be describes in his reports of his progress of that work. He called this boat the "Eradicator." With it, one Sunday morning, he removed the rival of Shreveport off the map by cutting a channel leaving the rival---- Coate's Bluff-high and dry. By some Shreve has been censured on account of having dug this 250 foot canal, claiming that it had a deal to do with the depth of the channel proper and handicapping deep- water navigation all these years. At any rate, Captain Shreve was a conscientious man and did thoroughly whatever be put his band to. Captain Shreve was a member of the Shreve Town Company and was honored by having the town named for him. Henry Miller Shreve died in St. Louis, Missouri, March 6, 1851, where his body now rests. Doubtless the centennial of the founding of the town honoring him, will celebrate its hundredth birthday fittingly. About six years ago an historical window was dressed by Miss Annie Willson Hanna and the author of this work which seemed to originate a movement leading toward a memorial to Captain Sbreve. In this window was shown a replica of the "Eradicdtor " the first little trading post and a likeness of Captain Shreve in the foreground. Mr. Claude L. Jones came to the author for data to be used in a speech he made before the Kiwanis Club which resulted in a Shreve Memorial Committee and then the Shreve Memorial Library Association and the Shreve Memorial Library located on the corner of Travis and Edwards streets. Note: The St. Louis Republican of March 3, 1851 thus notes the death of this eminent steamboatman: "This worthy citizen died at the residence of his son-in-law in this city yesterday. He was for nearly forty years closely identified with the commerce of the West, either in flat boats or steam navigation. During the administration of Adams, Jackson and Van Buren, he filled the post of United States superintendent of Western river improvement, and by the steam snag-boat of which he was the inventor, contributed largely to the safety of Western commerce. To him belongs the honor of demonstrating the practicability of navigating the Mississippi River with steamboats. He commanded the first steamer that ever ascended that river, and made several and valuable improvements, both of the steam engine and of the hull and cabins of the Western steamboats. While the British were threatening New Orleans in 1814-15, he was employed by Gen. Jackson in several hazardous enterprises, and during the battle of January 8th, served one of the field-pieces which destroyed the advancing column led hy Gen. Keane. His name has been historically associated with Western river navigation, and will long be cherished by his numerous friends throughout this valley." It is claimed by some that Shreve never had received a commission as captain, although it would hardly seem probable that he should he permitted to command vessels on such rivers as the Ohio and Mississippi without that paper. Several biographies distinctly mention him as "Captain". His grandson, I. Shreve, from St. Louis, was present at the opening of Shreve Library. BIBLIOGRAPHY ON HENRY MILLER SHREVE Missouri Republican of 1851-the year he died. Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol. 5. National Cyclopedia of American Biography~V0L. 2. Industries of the United States, page 96. Government Records. St. Louis, City and County, J. Thos. Scharf (Louis H. Everts & Co., Phila.) History of Missouri, page 193, Vol.111.