Hurley Family Tree

Information on the Rail Ferry W.B. Duncan

The W.B. Duncan was a rail ferry that operated on the Mississippi River, serving various points, including Metropolis, Illinois, from 1881 until its retirement in 1931. It was named after W. Butler Duncan and had an original cost of $50,000, with its insurance value increasing to $70,000 by 1913. The ferry was regularly maintained, docked every couple of years to keep it in top condition.

Locomotive #341

Identification Challenges: Locomotive number #341 is not uniquely identifiable without knowing the specific railroad it belonged to, as locomotive numbering was specific to each railroad company. Several railroads operated in the Metropolis area around 1910, including:

Illinois Central Railroad (IC): A major operator with extensive lines through southern Illinois. The IC had a diverse roster, but no specific reference to a locomotive #341 is found. The IC’s locomotives were primarily serviced at shops in Paducah, Kentucky, or Carbondale, Illinois, near Metropolis.

Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad (C&EI): Operated the Thebes ferry before 1905 and could have used ferries like the W.B. Duncan for regional connections. No record of a #341 is noted, but their locomotives included early 20th-century steam models like 4-4-0s or 4-6-0s.