The Ohio River has frozen over on a few occasions when not only has navigation of boats been suspended, but people could actually walk across it. The winter of 1917-1918 was one of the worst on record when the Ohio River froze along its entire length. The ice gorge crushed and sank the Princess, one of the passenger steamboats to Coney Island. Folks have fresher memories of when the Ohio River froze during the 1976-1977 and 1977-1978 winters. On Jan. 19, 1977, the ice was packed eight eight to 12 inches thick along Cincinnati. Hundreds of brave (or foolhardy) souls crossed the river on foot.