Capt. Robert Earl “Bobby” Powell, 95, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died August 6 of heart failure. He had a long and distinguished river career, starting with working on his grandfather… Read More
Delta Queen
Although the Delta Queen steamboat did not receive major structural damage from Hurricane Ida, the intense winds did cause some harm. In a social media post September 15, the Delta… Read More
The Port of Kimmswick. Mo., official homeport of the Delta Queen, has completed its new boat landing dock, according to Neal Breitweiser, executive director of the Jefferson County Port Authority. Read More
After many years of planning and delays due to high water, and many other issues, work has finally begun on a new excursion boat landing in Kimmswick, Mo. Ground has… Read More
In 1952, a young man named Clarke Campbell Hawley joined the crew of the excursion steamboat Avalon as calliope player and popcorn popper, embarking on an adventure that spanned more… Read More
Violet Schmerbach Foley, 105, of Andalusia, Ill., died May 6 at Lutheran Living Senior Care in Muscatine, Iowa. She and her husband, Capt. William Foley, were married in 1934 and… Read More
Happy New Year! We begin the Old Boat Column for 2020 with one of the beautiful steamboats operated by the famous Diamond Jo Line, the steamer Quincy. Built at Dubuque,… Read More
The Sons & Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen (S&D) will hold its 80th annual meeting September 13–14 at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta, Ohio. The event will kick off on Friday… Read More
Now that the beloved Delta Queen has received its long-awaited exemption and is well on the way to again traversing the rivers in the foreseeable future, the Old Boat Column… Read More
The year 2018 was one full of historic milestones for the inland waterways, marking both ends and beginnings. A major lock and dam construction project that had threatened to “eat… Read More
