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Gambling Riverboat On Allegheny River During The Oil Boom Days


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Hogan’s Floating Palace of Pleasure Part of History, First Gambling Riverboat in Country

Thursday, June 28, 2018 @ 12:06 AM

Posted by Ron Wilshire

CLARION, Pa. – Ken Burkett, Executive Director of the Jefferson County History Center and area archeologist, often speaks about what he has dug up from his various archeological digs throughout the region.

During a talk at this week’s meeting of the Clarion Rotary Club, he also mentioned that one of the interesting aspects of Clarion County History was Ben Hogan’s Floating Palace.

“During the oil boom days in Oil City, Ben and a lady, French Kate, set up the country’s first gambling riverboat in the middle of the Allegheny River near Parker,” said Burkett.

“Being in the middle of the Allegheny River, the sheriffs of Clarion, Armstrong, or Butler Counties could not get to him as far as arresting him.”

“He simply moved his boat into another county if he heard they were coming.”

hogan

A couple of area historical websites can fill us in on Ben Hogan and his unique business style.

The following is from https://parkerhouseproject.weebly.com/history.html.

“During the oil boom, fortunes could be made overnight, and this attracted a criminal element to Parker.  One notable character of those days is Ben Hogan.  He was a prizefighter, bounty jumper, and blockade runner during the Civil War. He bought several flatboats and moored them in front of the town. On one, he kept a saloon and gambling joint. On another, he promoted a series of weekly prizefights, and on the third, he kept ‘filled with women of evil character and great physical attractiveness.”

“‘Hogan’s Floating Palace of Pleasure’ had special entertainment particularly at 5:00 p.m. every day.  It was mandatory ‘Bath Time’ in the river for the girls, and Hogan turned it into a hit feature.  Men paid well for deck chairs positioned to allow a good view of the proceedings. There were also some hands-on interludes when, for two bucks, a gentleman could jump into the river and assist the bare bathers.”

Oil Country Stories by Samuel T. Press reports this recollection of Hogan.

 

Ben Hogan

Ben Hogan

 

 

“Having read Hogan’s biography (1878), Asbury’s chapters ‘Sin Among the Derrick’ and ‘The Man from Hell’ (1942) and comments found in nearly a dozen other sources, it seems to be appropriate to recite a few of the escapades that were carried out by the roughs and witnessed by the oilmen of the day.”

“Ben Hogan’s capers always made the news. As mentioned earlier, Hogan had executive ability, a fertile imagination, the drive to put a new project into motion, and, in general, the gift of entrepreneurship. Thus equipped, in 1870, he visited the new oil strike at Parkers Landing on the Allegheny River in Armstrong County. There were already some brothels and bars there, but Ben saw the place as ripe for competition. He opened a ‘sporting’ house, but he had a more grandiose plan in mind. A reform wave hit Parker but didn’t deter Hogan (Giddens, 1948).”

“He set about remodeling a river steamer that had seen better days. It was 125 feet long and 30 feet wide, big enough to deserve the name ‘Ben Hogan’s Floating Palace of Pleasure.’ He then brought in a bevy (or two) of soiled doves, hired an orchestra, saw to an enormous stock of liquor. This was the first resort of its kind in America (Asbury, 1942).”

“The Floating Palace was anchored in the center of the Allegheny River opposite Parker, and the clientele achieved entry by rowboat which ferried revelers back and forth (mostly forth). The Palace attracted great attention, and this included the authorities in Clarion and Armstrong Counties on opposing banks of the river. The Law in both counties was never synchronized, so if a raid appeared imminent by deputies from, say, Armstrong County, Hogan would move the Palace over to the Clarion County side.”

“These dodge-em tactics worked as long as the lookouts didn’t get drunk or fall asleep. As a further precaution, Ben finally opted to buy a liquor license in Clarion County. The Clarion County Sheriff found this to be legal and furthermore didn’t feel obliged to safeguard the morals of riverbank people or take their complaints seriously.”

“Still, Hogan found it prudent to move his Floating Palace out to the middle and over to the Armstrong side (there were plenty of customers there) from time to time.”                                                                  SEE VIDEO ;   http://www.exploreclarion.com/2018/06/28/ben-hogans-floating-palace-of-pleasure-part-of-history-first-gambling-riverboat-in-country/

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