GUNDALOWS The technical term for the flat-bottom river boats used so successfully on the Shenandoah River in early Virginia history, no doubt would resemble the word "gondola". The mixed dialects of settlers in Virginia worked some wonders with standard words in adapting them to local, occupational needs.
To the waterman who ranged the length of the Shenandoah River it's upper reaches high in the Appalachian Mountain range down to Harper's Ferry, in what is now West Virginia. which was their main downstream port. "GON-do-lah", OR "Gon-DOH-la" are not too far from the sound of "Gun-DOH-low!"
The gundalow of the Shenandoah type was a massive thing for specific use on that waterway and none other. They ranged from sixty to as much as ninety feet in length, ten or more feet in width and were build to make one maiden voyage only. The boat itself was so crafted that all materials from which it was constructed could be sold downstream as lumber and building materials ...beams, rafters, siding, flooring - that sort of thing. The boats were planked horizontally and built on shore - many at Port Republic, the uppermost port on the the South Fork or at New Market, the highest navigable point on the North Fork of the River. They were flat bottomed, but steerable from both for and aft tiller locations. They were loaded with timber, lumber, and other forest products as well as skins, pelts and farm products, but the major cargo was ingots of pig iron from the numerous forges throughout the area. Tonnage had to be carefully controlled on each vessel depending on anticipated water levels downstream.
Gundalows were build "bottom up" or "top down" and when the time came for the "turning over" it was a festive occasion calling for dancing, parties and other such celebrations. So much depended on the success of that one-trip only vessel!
Prior to the gundalow a primitive log raft has been In use on the river but they merely drifted with the currents and did serious damage to dams, weirs and other construction along river on which people depended. They were gradually eliminated. Detailed maps of the river show numerous mills along the river
and all dams were so constructed that the gundalow could go over a passageway constructed so that a section of the dam was something resembling a water slide. Often those very mills would add to the downstream cargoes is they had marketable excess of flour and other edibles for man or beast. The main cargo was that six to twelve tons of pig iron.
Once downstream everything would be sold at Harper's Ferry or in that area and the rivermen would walk back to Port Republic to build another.
A.L.M. April 21, 2005 [c469wds]
