The Civil War has ended and as awar torn south begins to recover most of its transportation systems are in a state of disrepair. the impoverished south reeling from defeat and the expansive areas left with out both transportation and avenues for commerce. Enter Charles A. Bruce of Staunton Hill Virginia who in th e1870's decided to do what some would call foolhardy and others waould say innovative. The use of steamboats west of the fall line of the Roanoke River with its many twists and turns shallows and rocky reefs and sandbars.

There is very little known of the steamers that plied the shallow rivers of the Roanoke (also known as the Staunton) and other rivers such as the Dan. From the landing at Randolph to a place called Brookneal Virginia then a hub of commerce for both produce and the tobacco farmers along that stretch of the Staunton.

Bruce purchased two steamers one was the "Nellie" and the other the "Jean" the first being a 85 foot long 14 foot wide at the beam and a draft of 14 inches unladen and 20 inches loaded and moving upriver propelled by a 30 hp Tanner and Delaney Steam Boiler forward mounted and pushed by a 10 foot wheel hub to stern. Not much is known except that the cargo and passengers loaded at either end managed to take the 30 mile ride with great anticipation and excitement as the recovering railroads were yet still in disarray. The Richmond and Danville had a point of transfer, and Bruce making deals with both the Roanoke Navigation Company and the railroad, moved his cargos from about the late 1870's till as late as 1890. The "Jean" was removed from river and sold and sent out of state, the "Nellie" her fate was yet to come.

In researching the articles of the "Nellie" one learns much of life in the recovery years after the Civil War. The slow rebuilding of communities and the people who made such a possibility. Somewhere after 1889 the "Nellie's" last reported observance for some reason her engine was taken off and she tied so the story goes near a point of land where she took on water and broke free from her ties. The rest is conjecture as not much is known whether the engine was actually taken and used on shore or if perhaps it was the one found a century later at the landing site on Staunton River State Park. Her board work and her wheel the pilot house all is unknown. Or perhaps the enigne was not removed and she found her self addressing one of th emany wing dams built for enhancing river traffic for the batteaus that made their way from Salem Virginia to Weldon North Carolina.

Join us as we search for the shipwreck "Nellie" . Currently we are waiting permit review for this phase of the investigation. You will see posted sights of this part of Piedmont of Virginia and in turn offered a chance to see both images and video postings on our other site. In addition to the sights of Virginia you will also get a chance to see explorations of the river and some underwater images as well as seeing the equipment we use and perhaps learn a bit about underwater survey and the devices we employ.

Have a great day.....
Lee