This first column for 2023 may be more appropriate for the Easter season since it involves a resurrection. The boat that will be described is 65 years old this… 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 the last column we looked at the Bessie E. Merrill, owned by Capt. Charles C. Stone of Point Pleasant, W.Va. It was mentioned that Capt. Stone dismantled… Read More
Capt. Steve Pearson recently shared with this writer a photo of the Str. Bessie E. Merrill that was in a frame along with a poem written by Mrs. Charles… Read More
Continuing in the vein of last week’s column, we will look at another steamboat that was an early member of the Hines fleet. The sternwheel steamer Betty Turner was… Read More
In 1928, a diminutive sternwheel steam packet was built at Paducah, Ky. The boat had a wood hull that was only 64.9 by 21 feet and had a 4-foot… Read More
The river community was saddened recently to learn of the passing of Capt. Clarke C. “Doc” Hawley at age 87. Capt. Clarke ‘Doc’ Hawley at the Avalon… Read More
Another boat featured in the 2023 Gas & Diesel Sternwheel Towboat Calendar (See WJ, November 14) is the Belfont. This boat was built in 1926 by the Marietta… Read More
Steve Huffman has compiled a new Gas & Diesel Sternwheel Towboat Calendar for 2023. The front cover features the sternwheel towboat Mary Woods No. 2, a great candidate for… Read More
The October 6, 1934, issue of The Waterways Journal carried a story on Page 5 headlined: “Huge Dredge Mitchell Launched in 11 Seconds.” The article stated that the… Read More
The present low-water situation on the Upper and Lower Mississippi brings the importance of the large Corps of Engineers dredges to prominence. Those working the rivers… Read More
