Marquette Recognizes Third Class Of ‘Legends’ At Banquet

The 10 mariners recognized as Marquette Legends account for more than 260 years of combined service at Marquette Transportation Company. Collectively, the Marquette Legends serve as the company’s hall of fame.

The mariners, each chosen by the company because of their significant contributions, independent spirit and “grit,” represent the company’s best river captains and pilots. For the third time, the company inducted new members of this lauded group on September 12 with a ceremony and banquet at Walker Hall in Paducah, Ky.

The 2024 honorees are Capt. Albin “A.J.” Dempster and Capt. Daniel Boston. They join captains Bob Wilson, Henry Hornsby, Gary Thornberry, Jim Troup, Larry Sibley, Emile Dufrene, Dennis Drury and John Zeringue in having their names engraved on a brass plaque beneath the bell of the mv. Marquette Legends.

Marquette Transportation CEO Damon Judd described the company’s employees as its most important asset.

“Events like this are when we get to step back, reflect and really pay tribute to individuals who have had an outsized impact on Marquette’s success and our evolution as a company,” he said.

In particular, he spoke about the company’s mariners, saying, “These are the people, these are the stories that really make Marquette what Marquette is. I definitely can’t thank you enough for your contributions to Marquette’s development and to our success.”

Judd also noted that “Becoming a successful mariner, let alone a legend, is not an easy path. You’ve got to have an incredible amount of passion, grit and determination. It’s hard work. It’s a hard life, with real sacrifice and a true sense of commitment.”

Following his remarks, Chris Myskowski, senior vice president of Marquette’s river division, read the Marquette Legends induction declaration, and Darin Adrian, president of the company’s river division, introduced each of the honorees.

Capt. Daniel Boston

Boston began his career on the river in September 1977 at the age of 18. With no prior knowledge of the industry, he was working at a gas station. As self-serve stations began to take over, Boston saw an advertisement for a barge worker in the yellow pages of the phone book. He decided to join the St. Louis National Maritime Union and pursue a career on the river.

Now, Boston has 47 years of experience on the river, including 25 with Marquette. He has seen plenty of change in that period, remembering a time when his wheelhouse’s advanced equipment consisted only of depth sounders and radar, and the radar wasn’t of much use during daylight hours. There weren’t even walkie-talkie radios back then, he said.

Some things, however, haven’t changed. He said the industry still offers a good living to those willing to work and learn and that having a good crew and support from landside team members help make the job enjoyable.

Boston has been a captain for 30 years, riding the mv. Loree Eckstein since it was brand new in 2016. He compared captaining a towboat to conducting an orchestra.

“My mates know how I want my tow wired and how I want my boat kept up,” he said.

Some of those crewmembers have been with him for some time and have become more like family. Among them is his relief captain, Terry Fulton, who has been with him since he was a green deckhand 16 years ago.

“He calls me Captain Dad,” Boston said.

Boston’s professional life also has affected his personal one. After a woman filled in as cook during a trip on the Randy Eckstein, which he captained many years ago, he stayed in touch with her. The pair wound up falling in love, and she is now his wife of eight years.

Capt. Albin “A.J.” Dempster

Dempster began his career on the river as a green deckhand at the age of 22. With no previous experience or knowledge of life on the water, he took the job on a whim with a friend. While the friend didn’t last a week on the job, Dempster said he fell in love with the lifestyle of working on the river.

Dempster spent every spare moment he could learning to steer in the wheelhouse before becoming licensed at age 27 in 1987. He joined Marquette in July 2000 to expand his skills on the river and be posted on larger vessels. He shared that his proudest career moment as a pilot was his first trip with Marquette on the mv. Justin Paul, pushing 35 loads.

Dempster said he was especially honored to be joining Hornsby and Zeringue as a legend since they were two of the first captains he worked with as a young mariner.

“It’s nice to be recognized and being with some of my peers, the guys who trained me and helped me out over the years,” he said.

Dempster said that just as he learned from those experienced captains, he now enjoys sharing his own experience in training new pilots on any boat where he is needed. He recently accepted a new role of designated training captain with Marquette.

Dempster’s advice to those new to the industry is “just put the work in.” He added, “Learn as much as you can about different things. If you have an opportunity to try new things, do it.”

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Featured photo caption: Several Marquette Legends attended the ceremony and banquet on September 12. (Left to right) Chris Myskowski, Jim Troup, Henry Hornsby, Dennis Drury, A.J. Dempster, Dan Boston, Larry Sibley, Bob Wilson, Emile Dufrene, John Zeringue, Damon Judd, Darin Adrian. (Photo by Brad Rankin Photography)