Of Johnboats and Drifters
by James K. Smith
Before dams were constructed, the White River free flowed some 722 miles to its confluence with the Mississippi River. The bronze back fishing was excellent and john boats reigned supreme. Those times have changed and the only promise I can even begin to make is “There will be changes, nothing stays the same”.
“That’s John’s boat.” That was the reply to the writer’s question, “What kind of boat I’m I looking at?” Charlie, who was said to be hard of hearing, thought that the writer had asked who the boat belonged to and Charlie replied accordingly. Later the name was included in a magazine article as ‘johnboat” and that’s what it has been ever since. In disclosure, there are other stories of who invented the johnboat and a 1919 U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Publication included the term “john boat” but I just like the previously mentioned version. Regardless of which story you want to go with, without a doubt Charlie Barnes had a great impact on the commercial floating/fishing business.
In the days of such a wide open river, Charlie Barnes, (born 1878) lived in Galena Missouri. Story has it that he floated the James and White rivers often and, in addition, he built wooden boats from clear pine, 20 foot wood boats that would many years later, thanks to a misinterpreted question, become known as the “johnboat”. Early johnboats were not designed like the motorized johnboats of today. Both ends were exactly alike. The bow being whichever way the paddler was facing. Sixteen to twenty-four foot were the common lengths but some were even longer with three to four foot center width and about a foot deep with little taper. They were designed for stability and ease of navigation along twisting Ozark Mountain clear water streams with shallow rocky shoals. “They go with hill rivers like foam with beer.” Quoted from Sports Afield article March 1957 by Dan Saults.
All Photos these 2 pages from 1989 Galena, Missouri Historic Preservation Survey report for MDNR