The river community is saddened by the recent passing of Shirley Ruck Burwinkle, 91, who served as calliopist on the Str. Belle of Louisville (1966–1970) and was organist for a… Read More
Old Boat Column
A look back into the rich history of the inland waterways transportation industry. From the earliest steam paddlewheelers to the grand sternwheel and sidewheel packets, and the eventual transition from steam to diesel, you’ll find fascinating stories and photos of a different steamboat every week.
In previous Old Boat Columns throughout the past 10 years, we have presented various large and notably palatial cotton packets, such as the Belle of the Bends that ran on… Read More
In late 1897, Edmonds J. Howard, esteemed proprietor of the Howard Shipyards & Dock Company at Jeffersonville, Ind., received what very likely was the most unique inquiry in the firm’s… Read More
In 1907, the steamer Mississippi led a parade of steamboats into Memphis with a special guest aboard. After spending the entire day of October 2 in St. Louis, President Teddy… Read More
It isn’t widely known that James Howard, founder of the Howard Shipyard in Jeffersonville, Ind., emigrated from Lancashire, England, in 1819 at the age of 5. Accompanied by his parents,… Read More
John William Menke was born on August 3, 1880, in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his family operated a saloon. In 1902, he went to Jersey City, N.J., where his brother Ben,… Read More
Nearly a century ago, the automobile was coming into vogue as a common means of transportation for the American people. When cars were made affordable thanks to mass production, the… Read More
After years of a relative respite from severe winters, it appears that icy times have returned. Unlike the Upper Mississippi River where, owing to ice harbors, coves and other safe… Read More
The Eagle Packet Company of St. Louis contracted in 1913 with the Howard Shipyard to build a wood-hulled sternwheeler for $26,000. The new steamboat, 242 by 37.8 feet and named… Read More
Built for the Red River and Caddo Lake cotton trades above Shreveport, La., the cotton packet Gem was constructed in 1898 along the Ohio River. It was a product of… Read More
