‘Steamboat Charlie’ among Monroe County, Alabama’s colorful characters

Grave of 'Steamboat Charlie'

I was looking through some old newspapers the other day when I ran across an old story that detailed the unusual death of one of Monroe County’s most prominent citizens.

On the top of the front page of the Feb. 23, 1933 edition of The Journal, editor A.C. Lee (Harper Lee’s father) reported that the “accidental discharge of a gun in his own hands” on Feb. 18 resulted in the death of Lawrence Wheeler Locklin of Monroeville. According to that story, the 65-year-old Locklin had gone out early that morning with one of his young grandsons to shoot a rabbit.

“It was necessary to cross a wire fence to reach their objective point,” the story said. “The boy had gone over the fence ahead and when Mr. Locklin attempted to cross the fence, the old time gun he carried became entangled in the fence in some unknown manner, was accidentally discharged and the load passed through the back of the head of the elder Locklin, resulting in instant death.”

At the time of his death, Locklin was one of the county’s most prominent men. A.C. Lee wrote that Locklin was “for many years an outstanding citizen of Monroe County, always taking an active interest in the political, social and civic welfare of the county and state. He was reared and resided at Perdue Hill until some 15 years ago, when he moved to Monroeville. He represented Monroe County in the Convention which formulated our State Constitution in 1901, under which we now function.” Notably, in September 1901, Locklin became one of the state officials who officially signed this new constitution.

Interestingly, Lawrence Locklin was the son of one of the county’s most colorful antebellum characters, Capt. Charles William Locklin Sr., aka, “Steamboat Charlie.” Born at Claiborne in 1827, Charles Locklin became known as Steamboat Charlie because of the steamboats that he owned and operated. His line of steamboats carried cargo and passengers for many years up and down the Alabama River from Mobile to Montgomery.

Charles Locklin made a handsome living during the War Between the States when the Confederate government chartered his steamboats to transport troops and munitions from the state capital to the port in Mobile. Sources said that he owned a number of steamboats, but the only one specifically named in family papers was the St. Nicholas. Union forces burned this ship during the war.

“Capt. Locklin was one of the few survivors of Alabama river steamboat officers of what was known as the ‘flush times’ before the war, serving as clerk and captain on several steamboats between 1843 and 1868,” his 1905 obituary said. “Possessing great natural wit, culture and geniality, he was among the most popular men then on the river.”

In the end, it would be interesting to know if anyone in the reading audience has any additional information about these two colorful characters in Monroe County history. Both of these men had children, so I would not be surprised to know that they have a number of descendants in the area today.