The Sprague. Thanks to Ted Davisson for the picture.


Thanks to Dale Flick for the picture!
The TOM GREENE model, housed at the Howard Steamboat Museum, Jeffersonville, IN. Fred Way's PACKET DIRECTORY lists her under entry No: 5415. 'Point Pleasant, W. Va., Marietta Mfg. Co., 1923. 200 X 38 X 6. Engines, 22s - 7 ft. stroke, four boilers. Cincinnati-Huntington trade. Capt. Tom Greene took command in the Cincinnati-Pomeroy-Charleston trade. Won two celebrated races with BETSY ANN, 1929, 1930. Entered Cincinnati-Louisville trade from 1931-1947. Passenger cabins removed in Oct. 1936 for auto carrying capacity. Sold to Commercial Barge Lines, Nov. 1950 for defunct plans to convert her to three deck auto carrier. Bought by Walker Boat Yard, Paducah, KY.' You all know the rest of the story. The TOM GREENE was a famous fixture in/around Cincinnati for years and many people still recall her with fondness along with her sister the CHRIS GREENE.


Thanks to Dale Flick for the picture!
Here's one of the big CITY OF NEW ORLEANS of 1881. River hands will note that the photo is marked as a product by DOERR of Louisville, KY. WAY'S PACKET DIRECTORY lists her under Entry No: 1112 Pg. 95. 'Jeffersonville, Ind., by Howard, 1881. 290 X 48 X 8.5 ft. Engines 26's X 10 ft. stroke. Five boilers and four flues. Paddlewheels 38 ft. dia. with 15 ft. buckets. Owned by ANCHOR LINE. Capt. A.J. Carter master in 1885. Brought to Harmar, Ohio, in 1898 under her own steam where much of her equipment went to CITY OF PITTSBURGH.' ANCHOR LINE steamers had their own distinct look outside and in their vast interiors--the Waldorf Astorias of their age. Note her jackstaff, rigging and the spider of guywires supporting her stacks. Her pilothouse should remind us of the present BELLE OF LOUISVILLE.


Thanks to Dale Flick for the picture!
The KATE ADAMS. Fred Way's 'Log of the BETSY ANN' had much to say about this vision from another age when she appeared on the Ohio River 1925-1926. Hard to believe the brand new DELTA KING/DELTA QUEEN were being born at Stockton, California at that time. WAY'S PACKET DIRECTORY lauds her over nearly three pages under Entry No: 3217. "Built in Jeffersonville by Howard, 1899. 240 X 7 ft. Reese Co. engines 24 ft. X 8 ft. 8 inch stroke. Steel hull had 18 watertight compartments. Built under the supervision of the Rees Co., Pittsburgh, Thomas Dunbar (renowned marine designer), superintendent." (*Question: why under the dual construction of Rees and Howard Yards?). Autumn of 1926 she was returned to Memphis and renovated for the filming of Uncle Tom's Cabin renamed LA BELLE RIVIERE. She was restored at great expense in Memphis only to burn January 8. 1927. Many of you have seen the clips from the movie showing her aflame. Fred Way wrote/spoke of her tremendous operating expenses on the Ohio River...an economic disaster for the mid to late 1920s. Her roof bell is now in the outside court of Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Va.


Thanks to Dale Flick for the picture!
The Str. U.P. SCHENCK. Notice the coal barges fueling her up and the tremendous load of barrels in three layers on her top deck. WAY'S PACKET DIRECTORY lists her under Entry No: 5485 'Built Cincinnati, OH, 1876. 1,086 tons. 251 X 42 X 6.5 ft. Original engines from the Str. JAMES HALE and a second set after that from Str. PAT ROGERS. Ran Cincinnati-New Orleans owned by the Schenck family of Vevay, Indiana. Capt. J. Lawrence was master, with R.C. Burns, clerk. After 1888 she was lengthened and renamed Str. LONGFELLOW.' Under this new name she was lengthened to 318 X 42 X 6.5 ft. and continued in the Cincinnati-New Orleans trade. She was prevented from leaving Cincinnati the evening of March 7, 1895, by heavy fog. At 7:00 Am the next morning her captain became impatient to leave and called for assistance from the Str. HERCULES CARREL. Fog again closed down and she went broadside into a pier of the C&O bridge causing her loss. Her head clerk, barkeeper and several passengers were lost.


Thanks to Dale Flick for the picture!
The Guiding Star.


Thanks to Dale Flick for the picture!
Going back to the early DELTA QUEEN/BELLE OF LOUISVILLE races from 1963 on. THis are the very first (top 1963) and second (bottom 1964) tickets from those days.


Thanks to Dale Flick for the picture!
The Str. JOHN KILGOUR caused some excitement when she came up the Ohio River at her time. WAY'S PACKET DIRECTORY lists the KILGOUR under Entry No: 3078. 'Cincinnati, OH, 1864. 1,550 tons. 252 X 41 X 7 ft. Engines 25's by 8 ft. stroke etc. Built for Capt. William S. Foster and others (Kilgour being one of the 'others). Never served in the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh trade. Departed Cincinnati, March 1865, for Nashville with 8,000 boxes of U.S. Commissary stores. Ran Louisville-New Orleans, Capt. John G. Benson in 1868. Sold U.S. Marshall sale at Shippingport, KY., May 1871. Albert Stein master, Ben Merielees, clerk. Owned by Charles Kilgour and others Cincinnati-New Orleans. Dismantled, 1874.'