Wellsville lies on the north bank of the Ohio River. Its river history encompasses different perspectives: in 1808, Henry Aten and his companions traveled by loaded flatboat to New Orleans; in 1815, Robert Skillinger opened a shipyard in Wellsville to build flatboats. Historic keelboats, the site of the Wellsville River Museum, and ten murals on the Wellsville Flood Wall add to the picture. Together, these offer a look at a specific journey, boatbuilding, museum-site features, and the visual depiction of a river town.
Flatboats and Historic Journeys
The 1808 episode links destination, trade, and return journey: Henry Aten and his companions traveled by loaded flatboat to New Orleans, sold the boat and cargo there, and walked back to Wellsville. The change in mode of travel shapes the journey: river travel and the sale on one hand, the return on foot on the other. The sale of the boat and cargo is therefore part of the episode, as is the journey back to Wellsville.
Later, in 1815, Robert Skillinger opened a shipyard in Wellsville to build flatboats. The two dates represent different aspects of this type of boat: the 1808 episode is about a journey and the sale of the boat, while the 1815 shipyard is about building boats locally. Flatboats thus appear both as a means of travel and in connection with their construction.
Historic keelboats represent a distinct aspect of river navigation. They were 20 to 70 feet long and were slowly moved upstream using poles. Here, the boats’ length and how they were propelled are the focus. This adds a different combination of features to the flatboat stories: keelboats are associated with size and upstream movement, while flatboats are associated with a specific journey and construction in Wellsville.
Museum Site and Murals
The Wellsville River Museum site includes a restored railroad caboose. A 2020 Ohio Department of Transportation byway plan also lists an Old Country Store at the museum site. These features broaden the picture beyond river navigation and give the museum site its own specific points of interest. The Wellsville River Museum is open for visits seasonally on Sunday afternoons. Check current opening hours before your visit and plan your trip around its seasonal Sunday opening.
The Wellsville Flood Wall is covered with ten murals depicting the history of the river town. Unlike the individual journey stories, this approach tells the story of Wellsville as a river town. The murals offer a distinct perspective alongside the information about flatboats, keelboats, and boatbuilding: the focus here is the town’s history, not a single journey. Together, these different topics provide ways to consider Wellsville’s connection to the Ohio River.
Discover more destinations: Salem, East Liverpool.
Return to the broader travel overview: Columbiana County.
