The Falls & The Fossils
Also see Coast Guard Life Saving Station below
The "Falls" were a series of rapids causing the Ohio River to drop 26 feet over a distance of two and a half miles. This was the only navigational hazard over the 981 mile-length from Pittsburgh to the Gulf of Mexico. The falls were formed by the erosion of the Ohio River operating on 386 million-year-old Devonian hard limestone rock shelves. The falls provided a singular, dramatic and daunting obstacle to navigation on this important inland waterway.
Six settlements owe their existence to the "Falls" --- Shippingport, Portland and Louisville in Kentucky and New Albany, Clarksville, and Jeffersonville on the Indiana side. All large boats traveling on the Ohio had to stop to move their freight by land around the Falls and reload them on another boat. With a captive audience and a need for freight hauling the settlements flourished as numerous homes, taverns, warehouses, and shipyards were built.
The Louisville and Portland Canal, completed in 1830, was constructed to provide year-round navigation of the river. The falls were later largely covered by the McAlpine Locks and Dam, built by the Army Corps of Engineers. This eventually caused many of the warehouses and businesses at Shippingport and Portland to close shifting the economic power on the Falls to Louisville. These two once independent and flourishing towns were later annexed by Louisville.
A significant area of the fossil-rich Devonian limestone rock is exposed at times, and is accessible to visitors. The best time for visitation is during the low water season of the Ohio River between August and October. The exposure is unique—large and diverse tabulate corals and rugose corals are exposed in lifelike positions. Brachiopods and bryozoans are also present, as are gastropods (snails). Removal of fossils is prohibited. - Edited from Wikipedia
In 1990, part of the area became The Falls of the Ohio State Park. An interpretive center is open throughout the year. There is also a Falls of the Ohio State Park, Facebook page with many photos, a few are below.
For those interested in an extensive history of the locks, dams and canal at the falls, including many old photos > TRIUMPH AT THE FALLS:THE LOUISVILLE AND PORTLAND CANAL
Six settlements owe their existence to the "Falls" --- Shippingport, Portland and Louisville in Kentucky and New Albany, Clarksville, and Jeffersonville on the Indiana side. All large boats traveling on the Ohio had to stop to move their freight by land around the Falls and reload them on another boat. With a captive audience and a need for freight hauling the settlements flourished as numerous homes, taverns, warehouses, and shipyards were built.
The Louisville and Portland Canal, completed in 1830, was constructed to provide year-round navigation of the river. The falls were later largely covered by the McAlpine Locks and Dam, built by the Army Corps of Engineers. This eventually caused many of the warehouses and businesses at Shippingport and Portland to close shifting the economic power on the Falls to Louisville. These two once independent and flourishing towns were later annexed by Louisville.
A significant area of the fossil-rich Devonian limestone rock is exposed at times, and is accessible to visitors. The best time for visitation is during the low water season of the Ohio River between August and October. The exposure is unique—large and diverse tabulate corals and rugose corals are exposed in lifelike positions. Brachiopods and bryozoans are also present, as are gastropods (snails). Removal of fossils is prohibited. - Edited from Wikipedia
In 1990, part of the area became The Falls of the Ohio State Park. An interpretive center is open throughout the year. There is also a Falls of the Ohio State Park, Facebook page with many photos, a few are below.
For those interested in an extensive history of the locks, dams and canal at the falls, including many old photos > TRIUMPH AT THE FALLS:THE LOUISVILLE AND PORTLAND CANAL
Hover over image to see caption. Click image to begin a manual slide show with captions. Keyboard arrows can be used.
The location of the falls is between the Fourteenth Street (Pennsylvania R.R.) Bridge at the bottom right and the K & I Bridge at the top Left. The fossil beds are partially exposed at the top center-right.
--- Shippingport Island was once connected to the mainland. There is now a 500' wide canal excavated from Shippingport land leading to the McAlpine locks. The first canal was only 50' wide.
Coast Guard Life Saving Station at the Falls of the Ohio
In 22 October 1881, Life Saving Station #10 was placed in service at the Falls of the Ohio, the most dangerous place on the entire Ohio River. Built at the Howard Shipyards (became part of Jeffboat) at Jeffersonville, Indiana, the station was the first on America's Western Rivers system. It served until being replaced in 1902 by another wooden hull boat. The second vessel was replaced in 1929 with the present steel-hulled boat with its distinctive watchtower.
Her historic purpose was to protect travelers on the Ohio River from the Falls of the Ohio, with rescue crews for those who fell victim to the rapids. Louisville was the first place where a lifesaving station was placed in western waters. --- Wikipedia
Memorable rescue operations include the 1891 rescue of fourteen people on board of the steamer Hibernia that, after a severe tornado had hit the Louisville area, was about to go over the falls before coming to a halt near Louisville Bridge. In March 1882 the crew rescued 200 souls from the steamer James D. Parker after it had struck a pier of the Pennsylvania Railroad (Fourteenth Street) Bridge and sunk. During the floods of 1883-1884, the surfmen of the station "rescued and took to places of safety over 800 imperiled persons, men, women and children--among them many sick and infirm--and supplied food and other necessities to more than 10,000." [USLSS Annual Report, 1883].
In 1913, the Louisville Station crew was credited with saving 500 families in a flood at Dayton, Ohio.
On 17 February 1914, the steamer Queen City, on its way from Pittsburgh to New Orleans got caught in a current at 1:30 a.m. after torrential rains had fallen. The ship headed for the falls – with over 200 people on board. The Queen City came to a halt when it hit a rock, but the first few feet of the ship already nosed out over the falls. Two Life-Saving Service boats arrived only five minutes later and managed to rescue all 215 people on board within four hours.
Estimates for the period from 1881 to about 1921 speak of approximately 2,000 distress calls, aid provided to between 5,000 and 7,000 endangered persons, assistance rendered in saving $6 million - $7 million worth of property, and 400 dead bodies were pulled from the Ohio River. The men of the station again played a leading role during the flood of 1937.
Louisville Lifeboat Station operated until 1972. After the disestablishment of the station, the Coast Guard maintained the following activities in Louisville: Officer-in-charge Marine Inspection/Captain of the Port: 4 officers, 5 enlisted men, and 3 civilians; CGC Obion: 10 enlisted men; Recruiting Office: 4 enlisted men.
Sources:Station History File, CG Historian’s Office
https://www.uscg.mil/history/stations/LOUISVILLE.pdf
Her historic purpose was to protect travelers on the Ohio River from the Falls of the Ohio, with rescue crews for those who fell victim to the rapids. Louisville was the first place where a lifesaving station was placed in western waters. --- Wikipedia
Memorable rescue operations include the 1891 rescue of fourteen people on board of the steamer Hibernia that, after a severe tornado had hit the Louisville area, was about to go over the falls before coming to a halt near Louisville Bridge. In March 1882 the crew rescued 200 souls from the steamer James D. Parker after it had struck a pier of the Pennsylvania Railroad (Fourteenth Street) Bridge and sunk. During the floods of 1883-1884, the surfmen of the station "rescued and took to places of safety over 800 imperiled persons, men, women and children--among them many sick and infirm--and supplied food and other necessities to more than 10,000." [USLSS Annual Report, 1883].
In 1913, the Louisville Station crew was credited with saving 500 families in a flood at Dayton, Ohio.
On 17 February 1914, the steamer Queen City, on its way from Pittsburgh to New Orleans got caught in a current at 1:30 a.m. after torrential rains had fallen. The ship headed for the falls – with over 200 people on board. The Queen City came to a halt when it hit a rock, but the first few feet of the ship already nosed out over the falls. Two Life-Saving Service boats arrived only five minutes later and managed to rescue all 215 people on board within four hours.
Estimates for the period from 1881 to about 1921 speak of approximately 2,000 distress calls, aid provided to between 5,000 and 7,000 endangered persons, assistance rendered in saving $6 million - $7 million worth of property, and 400 dead bodies were pulled from the Ohio River. The men of the station again played a leading role during the flood of 1937.
Louisville Lifeboat Station operated until 1972. After the disestablishment of the station, the Coast Guard maintained the following activities in Louisville: Officer-in-charge Marine Inspection/Captain of the Port: 4 officers, 5 enlisted men, and 3 civilians; CGC Obion: 10 enlisted men; Recruiting Office: 4 enlisted men.
Sources:Station History File, CG Historian’s Office
https://www.uscg.mil/history/stations/LOUISVILLE.pdf