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Among the early authorities on the Ohio River and its navigation characteristics was Zadok Cramer who early in the 19th Century published at his Pittsburgh store a detailed account of the channel, hazards and a description of the towns and harbours along the river's route.
Here is an excerpt from his 1808 "The Navigator" concerning the Ohio River from Beaver to past "Faucetstown," now East Liverpool.
The islands are numbered and bear names different from those used today, and in many cases, no longer exist. For example Island No. 9, then called Mill Creek Island, and later Line Island was dredged out about 15 years ago.
No. 11, Custard's Island, is now Babb's Island.
Here is "The Navigator:"
BEAVER (Formerly Ft. McIntosh)
Is situated about three quarters of a mile below the creek, on a high stony plain, where the old Ft. McIntosh stood, about 200 feet above the level of the river. The town was laid out in 1797-98, and probably would have had fairer prospect of rising to some importance had it been built at the mouth of the creek.
One inconvenience at least has arisen from its being where it is; the inhabitants have not been able to get water by pumps, but have been obliged to resort to wooden pipes as conductors to the waters of a spring, at a hill half a mile back of the town.
Beaver has about 30 scattered houses in it, a stone jail, a post office, 4 mercantile stores, several public inns, a printing office which issues a weekly paper, and is the seat of justice for Beaver County, 30 miles west of Pittsburgh.
One mile below the town keep between some large breakers and the left shore.
Raccoon Creek left side.
No. 6, First Island below Beaver 1/2 mile long, Channel left side, middle of the river.
No. 7, Second Island, one mile long. Channel right side, pretty close to the right bank, at head of No. 7 is a smart chute.
No. 8, Grape Island, half a mile long, Channel left side close to the island.
GEORGETOWN Is a small village on the left bankjust below the mouth of Little Beaver; has two mercantile stores and a post office. A few yards from the opposite shore, and a little above the town a spring rises from the bottom of the river, producing an oil similar to Seneca oil, which is thought to proceed from a bed of mineral coal in the vicinity of the spring. Channel past Georgetown is in the middle of the River.
Little Beaver Creek, left side.
A quarter of a mile below Georgetown. Near the mouth of this creek are two grist, one saw and a paper mill erected in 1807 by Messrs. Coulter, Beaver and Bowman.
Mill Creek enters on the right side, a quarter of a mile below Little Beaver; here the state line between Pennsylvania and Virginia on one side and Ohio and Pennsylvania on the other, crosses the river, running in a north and south direction.
No. 9, Mill Creek Island, one quarter of a mile long and three quarters below Georgetown.
Channel right side - the first chute is at the upper end of the island, here keep close to the right shore, when halfway through, pull for the island and keep close to it for 150 yards, thence bear a little toward the right shore, but not so much as to prevent you from going to the left of.
No. 10, Custard's Island, 1/4 of a mile below No. 9. Channel left side, close to the lower point of the island.
FAUCETSTOWN
Right bank, a half mile below No. 10.
No. 11, Baker's Island, (just above Yellow
Creek) Channel left side, if you take the right Channel, keep
some ugly rocks to the right.