James River Batteau
Near here lived Anthony and Benjamin Rucker,
inventors of the James River batteau, which
superseded the double dugout canoe and rolling
road for transporting tobacco hogsheads. These
long (about 50 or 60 feet), double-ended vessels
dominated the commercial traffic on the James
River and other Southern upland waterways
between the 1770s and 1840s. A dispute arose
in 1821 when the Rucker brothers’ heirs sought
to patent the design. A letter from Thomas
Jefferson testifying to his presence at the first
batteau’s launch resolved the matter in the
Ruckers’s favor.
Marker is on South Amherst Highway (Business U.S. 29) south of North Coolwell Road (County Route 663).
Courtesy hmdb.org
