Belle Of Louisville Crew Designates ‘Morgan’s Landing’

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names may not recognize Morgan’s Landing on the Ohio River as a place, but the people at Belle of Louisville Riverboats do.

When the Belle of Louisville tied up at Roger Morgan’s house the evening of October 15, it was the second time the boat had done so since 2020. In 2020, the Belle was on its way to Amherst Madison at Gallipolis, Ohio, for its five-year Coast Guard inspection. It needed a spot between Portsmouth, Ohio, and Gallipolis to overnight, as the boat is not supposed to run after dark. Morgan volunteered his front yard as a stopping point, and a friendship between a riverfront resident and the last remaining steam-powered passenger boat on the Ohio began.

Morgan fed the crew and offered them beverages. In appreciation for his hospitality in 2020 and later to the Belle’s sister boat Mary M. Miller a couple of years ago and again this year, captains Pete O’Connell and Mike Fitzgerald gave Morgan a plaque in the shape and color of the Belle’s own nameboard. The plaque designates his house, located at approximately Mile 339.9, as Morgan’s Landing. The plaque includes etchings of the Belle of Louisville and the Mary M. Miller.

“I wanted to do something to thank you for what you’ve done for us,” O’Connell said as he handed Morgan the plaque. “I just wanted to make it official that this is a place of honor for the Belle of Louisville and her crew and her sister ship.”

Morgan said, “I just love this old boat and these guys, and we just love having them here, as you can see. My whole family has turned out.”

Morgan recalled that five years ago the Belle sent a person ahead to find a spot to tie up overnight, and that person happened to run into Morgan at a nearby marina.

“He was looking for a place to put the boat, and he was not having any luck, so I offered to let him come and have a look at this place,” Morgan said of his river frontage. “He thought I was kidding with him. We got on our boat, he came down and took pictures, and he sent them to Capt. Mike. He said, ‘That’ll do,’ and one thing led to another, and they came in and spent the night. We had a nice fire and some pizza and some cool, refreshing beverages and just striking up a great friendship that’s lasted for a long time now.”

Morgan added, “We all stay together on Facebook and share our families and what’s going on, and it’s just been a great relationship. They have a home here forever, and they’ve got a place to bring the boat to.”

Morgan’s neighbors, Randy Beck and Karen Williams, said Morgan eagerly looked forward to the Belle’s return.

“When this started getting closer, Roger would look at the weather,” Beck said. “It was so hot this summer, and we were thinking it’s going to be a terrible evening, but it’s just so nice.

“Last Friday, he started mowing grass,” Beck added. “He said, ‘Randy, how’s it look?’ I said, ‘Buddy, it looks like a million dollars.’ Saturday, he says, ‘How’s it look?’ He’s out today, he’s washing the bannisters. He just wants everything to be so nice for everybody else.”

Featured image caption: The Belle of Louisville tied up to a tree at the home of Roger Morgan of Franklin Furnace, Ohio. (Photo courtesy of Jim Ross)