She was deft with a needle and before her marriage earned her living as a dressmaker. But what she really loved was the river. And what was really the pride of her life was the paper which certified her as “Captain Josephine McGuire,” Missouri River steamboat pilot. Thursday, Mrs. Charles McGuire, the grand old lady of the river, whose life spanned the days when steam boating was a vital means of transportation on the Missouri, died in a Bismarck nursing home at the age of 86.
She is believed to have been the only licensed woman steamboat operator in North Dakota. She had helped her husband, Captain Charles McGuire, pilot the ferryboat at Washburn for several decades in the early 1900's. Several years ago, recalling those days she said: “Sometimes there used to be as many as 25 to 30 grain wagons lined up on the west bank of the river, waiting to be ferried across to Washburn. I got to know the river pretty well.”
Her life as a river boatman’s wife began back in Wisconsin. She was born at Caledonia, near Portage, Feb. 22, 1882 and attended school there. At the time of their marriage, Oct 30, 1900, at Madison, her husband was a Mississippi River steamboat pilot and boat builder. For awhile they lived at Wabasha, Minnesota where he and a partner would build boats and float them down to St. Louis for sale. In 1909 they came to Washburn where her husband took charge of the ferry, the Ruth Clarno, which his father, Capt. James McGuire had been operating for the Washburn Ferry Co. Being river folk, the McGuire’s enjoyed the acquaintance of well known rivermen like Capt. Grand Marsh, Capt. Charles Leach, Capt. I. P. Bakers, Capt. John, Capt. Charles Wilcox and others—all closely associated with riverboat history. In 1917 her husband and his father built the “Marion” for the Red Trail Ferry Co. which operated between Bismarck and Mandan before the vehicular bridge was constructed. They also built a new ferryboat, the Vivian, which he operated at Washburn until retiring from the business in 1931.
For several years her husband also served as Washburn’s police chief and was in charge of the pumping unit for the Washburn waterworks. In 1943 the McGuire’s came to Bismarck where he was employed with the police department for several years. They then moved to New Rockford and in 1956 returned to Bismarck to live.
Mrs. McGuire leaves her sons, James C., Los Angeles, Calif., Millard T., Moorhead, Minn., and Michael J., Rugby, and two daughters, Mrs. Milton (Vivian) Bergo, Bismarck and Mrs. James (Grace) Schreiber, Chicago. She also leaves 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. She was a member of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, at the Cathedral with the Rev. Henry Bosch officiating. Rosary will be said at 8 p.m. Sunday at Boelter Funeral Home. The family prefers memorials to Missouri Slope Lutheran Home where she had resided for the past 1 ½ years. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
From the Bismarck Tribune.
She is believed to have been the only licensed woman steamboat operator in North Dakota. She had helped her husband, Captain Charles McGuire, pilot the ferryboat at Washburn for several decades in the early 1900's. Several years ago, recalling those days she said: “Sometimes there used to be as many as 25 to 30 grain wagons lined up on the west bank of the river, waiting to be ferried across to Washburn. I got to know the river pretty well.”
Her life as a river boatman’s wife began back in Wisconsin. She was born at Caledonia, near Portage, Feb. 22, 1882 and attended school there. At the time of their marriage, Oct 30, 1900, at Madison, her husband was a Mississippi River steamboat pilot and boat builder. For awhile they lived at Wabasha, Minnesota where he and a partner would build boats and float them down to St. Louis for sale. In 1909 they came to Washburn where her husband took charge of the ferry, the Ruth Clarno, which his father, Capt. James McGuire had been operating for the Washburn Ferry Co. Being river folk, the McGuire’s enjoyed the acquaintance of well known rivermen like Capt. Grand Marsh, Capt. Charles Leach, Capt. I. P. Bakers, Capt. John, Capt. Charles Wilcox and others—all closely associated with riverboat history. In 1917 her husband and his father built the “Marion” for the Red Trail Ferry Co. which operated between Bismarck and Mandan before the vehicular bridge was constructed. They also built a new ferryboat, the Vivian, which he operated at Washburn until retiring from the business in 1931.
For several years her husband also served as Washburn’s police chief and was in charge of the pumping unit for the Washburn waterworks. In 1943 the McGuire’s came to Bismarck where he was employed with the police department for several years. They then moved to New Rockford and in 1956 returned to Bismarck to live.
Mrs. McGuire leaves her sons, James C., Los Angeles, Calif., Millard T., Moorhead, Minn., and Michael J., Rugby, and two daughters, Mrs. Milton (Vivian) Bergo, Bismarck and Mrs. James (Grace) Schreiber, Chicago. She also leaves 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. She was a member of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, at the Cathedral with the Rev. Henry Bosch officiating. Rosary will be said at 8 p.m. Sunday at Boelter Funeral Home. The family prefers memorials to Missouri Slope Lutheran Home where she had resided for the past 1 ½ years. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
From the Bismarck Tribune.
She was deft with a needle and before her marriage earned her living as a dressmaker. But what she really loved was the river. And what was really the pride of her life was the paper which certified her as “Captain Josephine McGuire,” Missouri River steamboat pilot. Thursday, Mrs. Charles McGuire, the grand old lady of the river, whose life spanned the days when steam boating was a vital means of transportation on the Missouri, died in a Bismarck nursing home at the age of 86.
She is believed to have been the only licensed woman steamboat operator in North Dakota. She had helped her husband, Captain Charles McGuire, pilot the ferryboat at Washburn for several decades in the early 1900's. Several years ago, recalling those days she said: “Sometimes there used to be as many as 25 to 30 grain wagons lined up on the west bank of the river, waiting to be ferried across to Washburn. I got to know the river pretty well.”
Her life as a river boatman’s wife began back in Wisconsin. She was born at Caledonia, near Portage, Feb. 22, 1882 and attended school there. At the time of their marriage, Oct 30, 1900, at Madison, her husband was a Mississippi River steamboat pilot and boat builder. For awhile they lived at Wabasha, Minnesota where he and a partner would build boats and float them down to St. Louis for sale. In 1909 they came to Washburn where her husband took charge of the ferry, the Ruth Clarno, which his father, Capt. James McGuire had been operating for the Washburn Ferry Co. Being river folk, the McGuire’s enjoyed the acquaintance of well known rivermen like Capt. Grand Marsh, Capt. Charles Leach, Capt. I. P. Bakers, Capt. John, Capt. Charles Wilcox and others—all closely associated with riverboat history. In 1917 her husband and his father built the “Marion” for the Red Trail Ferry Co. which operated between Bismarck and Mandan before the vehicular bridge was constructed. They also built a new ferryboat, the Vivian, which he operated at Washburn until retiring from the business in 1931.
For several years her husband also served as Washburn’s police chief and was in charge of the pumping unit for the Washburn waterworks. In 1943 the McGuire’s came to Bismarck where he was employed with the police department for several years. They then moved to New Rockford and in 1956 returned to Bismarck to live.
Mrs. McGuire leaves her sons, James C., Los Angeles, Calif., Millard T., Moorhead, Minn., and Michael J., Rugby, and two daughters, Mrs. Milton (Vivian) Bergo, Bismarck and Mrs. James (Grace) Schreiber, Chicago. She also leaves 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. She was a member of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, at the Cathedral with the Rev. Henry Bosch officiating. Rosary will be said at 8 p.m. Sunday at Boelter Funeral Home. The family prefers memorials to Missouri Slope Lutheran Home where she had resided for the past 1 ½ years. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
From the Bismarck Tribune.
She is believed to have been the only licensed woman steamboat operator in North Dakota. She had helped her husband, Captain Charles McGuire, pilot the ferryboat at Washburn for several decades in the early 1900's. Several years ago, recalling those days she said: “Sometimes there used to be as many as 25 to 30 grain wagons lined up on the west bank of the river, waiting to be ferried across to Washburn. I got to know the river pretty well.”
Her life as a river boatman’s wife began back in Wisconsin. She was born at Caledonia, near Portage, Feb. 22, 1882 and attended school there. At the time of their marriage, Oct 30, 1900, at Madison, her husband was a Mississippi River steamboat pilot and boat builder. For awhile they lived at Wabasha, Minnesota where he and a partner would build boats and float them down to St. Louis for sale. In 1909 they came to Washburn where her husband took charge of the ferry, the Ruth Clarno, which his father, Capt. James McGuire had been operating for the Washburn Ferry Co. Being river folk, the McGuire’s enjoyed the acquaintance of well known rivermen like Capt. Grand Marsh, Capt. Charles Leach, Capt. I. P. Bakers, Capt. John, Capt. Charles Wilcox and others—all closely associated with riverboat history. In 1917 her husband and his father built the “Marion” for the Red Trail Ferry Co. which operated between Bismarck and Mandan before the vehicular bridge was constructed. They also built a new ferryboat, the Vivian, which he operated at Washburn until retiring from the business in 1931.
For several years her husband also served as Washburn’s police chief and was in charge of the pumping unit for the Washburn waterworks. In 1943 the McGuire’s came to Bismarck where he was employed with the police department for several years. They then moved to New Rockford and in 1956 returned to Bismarck to live.
Mrs. McGuire leaves her sons, James C., Los Angeles, Calif., Millard T., Moorhead, Minn., and Michael J., Rugby, and two daughters, Mrs. Milton (Vivian) Bergo, Bismarck and Mrs. James (Grace) Schreiber, Chicago. She also leaves 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. She was a member of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, at the Cathedral with the Rev. Henry Bosch officiating. Rosary will be said at 8 p.m. Sunday at Boelter Funeral Home. The family prefers memorials to Missouri Slope Lutheran Home where she had resided for the past 1 ½ years. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
From the Bismarck Tribune.
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