Illinois (Propeller), 17 Sep 1868

With the loss of the prop. barge ILLINOIS, noted elsewhere, passes away another relic of by-gone days, and to those familiar with her history, of whom there are not a few, a brief review of her life may not be uninteresting. The ILLINOIS was built at Detroit in 1838, for the late O. Newberry, who in the times of early steamboating was one of the most prominent ship owners on the lakes. The ILLINOIS came out in the fall of the above year, commanded by Capt. Chelsey Blake, Robert Davis, first mate, and W. Caverly, recently deceased, second mate. She made one round trip between Buffalo and Chicago and then laid up at this port, being in an unfinished state. She was 755 tons old style, with low pressure crosshead engine, subsequently transferred to the ILLINOIS NO.2, now also defunct. After several years she passed from the command of Capt. Blake to Capt. Archibald Allen, who run her one season and then took charge of the NILE. A few years since she was raised from where she lay sunk at the lower end of the city, and reconstructed into a steam barge with propeller engine, at which time her timbers and planking were found to be in sound condition, and up to the last to a certain extent. She lived to attain the ripe age of 30 years, but like many others, has at last succumbed, while fighting desperately with the elements.
      Detroit Free Press
      September 17, 1868