OHIO RIVER TO BECOME A REGULAR TAXI ROUTE

Before the days of the steamboat, settlers would pack their belongings on a keelboat, flatboat or raft and float down the Ohio River until they hit the Mississippi.

If they were lucky.

Many downriver travelers never made it past Cave-in-Rock, Ill. The cave at that small Southern Illinois community became headquarters for outlaw gangs which preyed on travelers on the river.

The river pirates -- the Alstons, the Harpes, the Ford Ferry gang and others -- lured travelers to the cave, where they were robbed and often never lived to tell about it.

These tales are among those which will be recalled when another flatboat of sorts will ply the waters of the Ohio River and visit the outlaws' cave later this year.

"We're excited about the new water taxi," said Betty Green, of the Ride Mass Transit District, which will operate the river taxi. "The boat is in the process of being constructed, and should be ready to go in August."

Along the way, riders on the 50- to 54-passenger vessel can take in other historic sites along a route that will make stops at four Southern Illinois communities -- Cave-in-Rock, Elizabethtown, Rosiclare and Golconda.

The new vessel will be wheelchair accessible and contain bike racks. A restroom will be available on board.

"Plans now are to provide service along the river between Pope and Hardin counties, with limited service in Gallatin County," Green said. "And there's the possibility that the river taxi may be crossing the river to Carrsville and Tolu, Kentucky."

The taxi will operate March through November. During the peak tourist season, it will operate Tuesday through Sunday, weather permitting.

The plan is to permit passengers of the boat to get on and off at the various stops and catch the boat on the return trips.

In addition to the regular service, a weekly historical tour will be expanded to include points of interest along the route. These include the cave where river pirates were headquartered; the state's oldest hotel, the Rose Hotel, in Elizabethtown; former fluorite mines in Rosiclare; and the marina at Golconda.

"There's a lot of history in the area," said Green. "This was a stopping off place for people heading west in the 1800s."

The Rose Hotel, which opened in 1812 as McFarland's Tavern on a rocky cliff above the Ohio River, stood vacant for more than 20 years before it was acquired by the state two years ago. The state has provided funding for renovations to bring the hotel back to life as a modern-day bed-and-breakfast.

The hotel, which started as a toll house associated with a ferry, became a tavern and riverboat hotel in 1812. Additions were added over the years. It operated as a hotel until the 1960s.

Green said the taxi operation could play a major role in tourism development in the area. "It will provide an additional mode of transportation for local residents, and it will enhance our efforts to attract tourists to Southern Illinois," she said.

"You can already see the excitement in the communities," Green said. "You're seeing an increase in activity with vacant buildings, being prepared for tourism-oriented businesses."

The water taxi is financed by state and federal money. The Rides Mass Transit District was awarded a Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Tourism Attraction Grant for the construction of the river taxi. The United States Department of Agriculture provided a $29,000 grant.