Portrait (artist unknown) of James Howard, 1814-1876. (Courtesy of the Howard Steamboat Museum)
On October 14, 1876, James Howard was aboard the Louisville-Jeffersonville ferry John Shallcross. Headed home after a day of tending to business on the Kentucky side of the Ohio, James remained seated in his carriage during the crossing. Allegedly, the whistle of the ferry startled the horse, which backed the carriage forcefully against a gate that had not been properly latched, sending the buggy, horse and passenger into the river. Witnesses said that they saw Howard surface one time as he attempted to release the harness of the horse before sinking from sight.