On July 4, 1882, two steamboats—the Scioto and John Lomas—collided on the Ohio River near Mingo Island across from Moundsville. The Scioto, overloaded with more than 500 people returning from a holiday trip, sank quickly in 15 feet of water, killing more than 70 people.

Confusion over new steamboat rules led both pilots to believe they had the right-of-way. The Scioto’s pilot, David C. Keller, was later found to have been drinking and let someone else steer. He was tried and convicted of manslaughter, but later pardoned by President Grover Cleveland. No one was officially held responsible for the tragedy.