I recently took a boat tour with Rockin’ Thunder  on the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers and learned quite a bit of history is the process.  Captain Paul Nicholson shared many stories with us about both rivers that were very enlightening.  For instance, there are 4 locks that have been reopened on the Kentucky river with $8 million.  Each of the 4 are the only originally man made locks on the river.  The remaining locks are manufactured and will take at least $8-$10 million each to reopen.  You can currently travel from the Ohio river to Frankfurt on the Kentucky river.

An interesting story about the Ohio river is about a teenage boy was out fishing in his john boat and was a offered a silver dollar to row a couple men out to catch their steam boat.  He agreed and a couple weeks later, the state of Kentucky arrested him for operating a ferry.  He studied up and defended himself.  When the judge asked how he plea, his response, “not guilty.”  The judge inquired why and the young man’s response was simple.  “The definition of a ferry is transporting from one shore to another and sir I only transported them to the middle of the river, therefore I did not operate a ferry.”   The judge agreed and released the case.  He was so impressed he took the young man under his wing.  That young man grew up to not only be an attorney but a famous attorney and the 16th President of the United States of America.

Information provided by Captain Paul Nicholson, Rockin’ Thunder Boat Tours, Madison, IN. October 13, 2018.