Missouri River- Steamboat

[Jess Burchill]

Does anyone know the last time a Steamboat drove up the Missouri River? Based upon my research I'm seeing it done in 1800s and early 1900s, anything more recent?

[Jess Burchill]

I can't find any additional research on the topic. Please and thanks !

[Bill Judd]

The excursion steamer AVALON ran up there in the 1950's and quite a few steam towing vessels ran on the Missouri up until about 1960.

[Jess Burchill]

Thank you so much! That's very helpful. Does anyone know the last time a paddlewheeler went up the Missouri?

[Jim Reising]

I believe the AVALON went on the Missouri in her last year of operation, 1961. In fact I believe she bagged a boiler due to the muddy river. Don Sanders would know for sure.

[Jess Burchill]

That is so interesting! My boyfriend and one of his friends/employees is driving a Steamboat Paddle Wheeler up the Missouri. The boat came from Cincinnati, OH and was attached to a barge on the Ohio River and onto the Mississippi. The boys are currently at Mile 294 on the Missouri River, starting at St. Louis. They have had many days worth of troubles, but it has been quite an adventure. He is pushing the boat with his diesel ocean boat.

[Judy Patsch]

Thanks for the info and pictures!

Where is the boat to end up? That's a great picture with the state capitol in the background. To make sure you've put Bill and Jim's info together, yes the AVALON went up the Missouri River in the '50s and early 60s and she was (still is) a steam paddlewheeler. She is now the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE.
The first two pictures are at Davenport Iowa on the Upper Miss in 1952. The third is in Plaquemine Bayou LA., don't know the year.

[Jerry Canavit]

Judy,
In the second photo of the Avalon: Isn't that the Pipe Dream just to the left of the guy pushing the wheel barrow?

[Judy Patsch]

You spotted it!

Yep, that's the PIPE DREAM indeed. I didn't mention it because I figured no one would know it! I was thinking '51 was the last year the AVALON landed in Davenport, but these pix are labeled '52. In '51 she and the GCG were there together. My dad took me over there, but I don't remember that, unfortunately.

[Frank X. Prudent]

The JULIA BELLE SWAIN went up the muddy Missouri to St. Charles the same year the World Series featured the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals. She made several fall foliage trips between Pere Marquette State Park near Grafton, Illinois and St. Charles that year. Don't ask me when that was as much of the trip is a blur. Barb H. and I left after work on Friday and drove to Pere Marquette arriving very early Saturday to catch the boat several hours later and then back to Cincy for work on Monday. Also the DELTA QUEEN ran up to St. Charles once during the early nineties, so she was the last steamboat, to my knowledge, to head up the Mo.

[Frank X. Prudent]

That is so interesting! My boyfriend and one of his friends/employees is driving a Steamboat Paddle Wheeler up the Missouri. The boat came from Cincinnati, OH and was attached to a barge on the Ohio River and onto the Mississippi. The boys are currently at Mile 294 on the Missouri River, starting at St. Louis. They have had many days worth of troubles, but it has been quite an adventure. He is pushing the boat with his diesel ocean boat.

Jess, just because she has a paddlewheel doesn't mean she's a steamboat. Both boats are diesel boats. Unfortunately honest to God steamboats are as scarce as hen's teeth on the Mississippi River System. Hopefully, the JULIA BELLE SWAIN will add one to the numbers this summer. Otherwise it's just the AMERICAN QUEEN, NATCHEZ, BELLE OF LOUISVILLE, and CHAUTAUQUA BELLE out there now.

[Jess Burchill]

Wow that is great, Thanks Judy! She is to land in Pierre, SD. Still has three dams to overcome in South Dakota. They are not quite to Kansas City, MO yet

[Jess Burchill]

Thank you! This is very helpful as well. She went in the '90s to St. Charles? Or further up the Mighty Mo?

[Jess Burchill]

Frank, Technically, yes you are correct. She's a Diesel Paddelwheer (Sternwheel), 120 passenger with 84 dining capacity built in 1964. Nonetheless it is very rare for her to make her way up the Mighty Mo. She has a journey ahead of her of approx. 1300 miles from St. Louis, MO to Pierre, SD and three dams (Not lock dams. They are mainstream earth rolled reservoirs). So we have an adventure/challenge ahead of us. The 40 ton boat only goes approx. 2-4 mph up river and that is with our other diesel boat pulling her along too, Running all motors.

[Denny Hamilton]

This quick thread seems to have died. Is the boat still making progress on the Missouri River? If so, where is the boat at now, and how is it getting around the Mo River dams?