| FRANK PARGOUD | |
"SW p wh b. Jeffersonville, Ind., by Howard, 1868. 255 x 41 x 9.3. Engines, 32's--9 ft. Seven boilers, each
38" dia. by 28 ft. Named for Gen. Frank Pargoud, wealthy Ouachita River planter. Built for Capt. John W.
Tobin, New Orleans, sole owner. Designed for the New Orleans-Ouchita River trade, proved too large, so
went to the New Orleans-St. Louis trade. Made several trips there. Then ran New Orleans-Memphis, a
round trip a week (something of an accomplishment for a regular packet). Then ran New Orleans-Vicksburg, two round trips a week (the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN in 1977-1978 was making one round
trip a week in this trade) and then settled down running New Orleans-Fort Adams. At this time the
KATIE was running New Orleans-Greenville, Capt. J.M. White, met financial troubles, and was laid
up. Capt. Tobin hired White as master of the FRANK PARGOUD and immediately entered the New
orleans-Greenville trade where the boat made a mint of money. One writer of the time said a notorious
fact is that her last trip was the most profitable one.' The J.M. WHITE was built to replace her, at
which time the FRANK PARGOUD was laid up at New Orleans opposite the Ursuline Convent. Her
boilers were removed but otherwise intact, she slumbered there several years. Captian Tobin had put her
out to pasture as reward for work well done."
Caption on reverse of the photograph adds, "This is the boat which took coal flats out to the "Robert E. Lee"
during the
celebrated race in 1870 with the NATCHEZ, thereby raising a great furor amongst the betters who
claimed
this was unfair assistance. There was another cotton boat named simply PARGOUD sometimes
confused
with the golden egg for Capt. John Tobin, and with her earnings he built the J.W. WHITE." (F8)
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