Old Boat Column

The last column was inspired by a near century old pay ledger that had been repurposed into a scrapbook by riverman Palmer Fisher, a friend of many years to… Read More

Richard Dale James, formerly of Baden, Ohio, near Gallipolis, and now a resident of Wyandotte, Okla., was in the area recently to visit his parents. During his stay a… Read More

The previous Old Boat Column detailed the final steam sternwheel towboat in regular service on the Mississippi River system, the steamer Lone Star. That wooden vessel was built by the… Read More

The Old Boat Column tends to detail a lot of vessels that became “firsts” of their kind, but, for a change, the next two weeks it will look at two… Read More

The boats featured in this column today are somewhat special to this writer. The Mark M was the first towboat I ever set foot on, and I spent much time… Read More

The giant agricultural concern known as Cargill Inc. began in 1865 when William Wallace (W.W.) Cargill purchased his first grain storage facility in… Read More

The inland rivers of the United States have been viewed as essential means of transportation since the very beginnings of the nation. George Washington, soldier, statesman and first president of… Read More

The recent ice on the Illinois River, as well as the annual Missouri River Navigators Meeting at Jefferson City, Mo., last week, brought the Henry S. Sturgis to mind. The… Read More

With the Missouri River Navigator’s meeting scheduled to take place at Jefferson City, Mo., February 18–19, my thoughts naturally have turned to that stream. Most are familiar with the Lewis… Read More

In a recent conversation, the question was raised of what was the first towboat with a retractable pilothouse. The Bull Calf was mentioned, but it came out in 1939 with… Read More