Captain W. H. Kerr
Ironton Register 21 April 1880
Yesterday, (Tuesday) about 12:00, Capt. W. H. Kerr came home on the Buckeye State. He had been sick for a month past, and when he landed was quite weak and rode up in a cab, but he was in good spirits and anticipated no serious results.
When he got home friends called, with whom he talked and joked in his good, old, hearty style. He said, however, he felt sleepy and would go and take a nap.
Dr. W. F. Wilson had stepped in to see how he was and gave him a powder. In a few minutes, he started upstairs to bed, and on his way, he lifted up his arm and asked, “Doctor, is there any danger of a man losing the use of his arm?” The doctor replied there was, but he would attend to that afterward.
The Captain retired and went right to sleep. He had been sleeping a few minutes when his wife went to the bedside to see how he was resting and thought he seemed to be sleeping too heavily, so she attempted to turn him over, but he awakened no more, and in a minute or so breathed his last. He had hardly been home an hour. He died of apoplexy.
Capt. Kerr was born in Burlington, this county in 1814. When about sixteen years of age he went on the river and engaged to learn the piloting business on a little boat commanded by Capt. H.N. Gillet. For twenty years afterward he was a pilot and lived on the river. In about 1845 he built the steamer Tiber, which ran for some time. This boat was afterward changed to the Lady Bryon. He then commanded the Messenger, J.B. Ford, Revenue, Golden Era, Kenton, Robert Moore, Granite State, and Buckeye State.
The deceased had an extensive acquaintance. His long life on the river brought him many friends. He was a square, honest man, generous and kind, with a constant view on the brighter side of life. He was an interesting man in conversation, for he had mingled with all classes of men for fifty years.
To his family, he was kind and thoughtful. Everybody will remember Capt. Kerr with a warm and friendly recollection.
(By Telegraph)
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