Paddlewheel Boats Wanted / For Sale
If you know of a paddlewheeler in need of a home, or if you're searching for a boat to acquire, please send the information to Steamboats.com and we will post your notice here upon receipt.

Historic Preservation Blog
This log goes back in time, with newest entries at the top. Post a comment or question on the subject of steamboats, paddlewheel boats, misc. boats, genealogy, historic preservation, home and garden, transfer of real property (marketing, escrow, inspection, appraisal, market trends, disclosure, agency, etc.): Click here to send a question or item to post.


Also, visit our Yahoo group, "Phoenix Preservation," by clicking here: groups.yahoo.com/group/phoenix_preservation You are welcome to post the same information to both bulletin boards. Although titled "Phoenix," the discussion includes steamboat history, as well as Capitol Records history, and all the subjects we discuss on this page.






August 22, 2007 - I am transferring this page of postings to the Steamboats.com archive. To read the latest entries in the "Latest News" section of Steamboats.com, click here: steamboats.com/research/archive.html.





On Aug 14, 2007, at 3:17 PM, Larry Thompson wrote:

My ancestor James Thompson was the Captain and owner of the steam towboat George Thompson, which according to Way's, was a sternwheel towboat, built in 1858. Way's incorrectly lists his name as John Thompson. A newpaper clipping lists his name as Jones Thompson. I would like to find a picture of something similar to what the George Thompson might have looked like. I found the attached picture on the web, but I think it may have been earlier than the George Thompson.

Thanks for any help.

Larry email - click here

--
Larry Thompson
My Allegheny Co. Maps Page
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~lt0168/maps My genealogy Page
http://www.twothompsongenealogies.com/index.html








On Jun 17, 2007, at 1:21 PM, Grant Kearns wrote:

Hi,
My great grandfather, John Kearns (1819-1898) was involved in the l849 Gold Rush. And what I gathered is that he and about 250 others left Pittsburgh early spring of 1849 on the steamship "Cosignee", Captained by a Benjamin Lockwood, of Dille's Bottom, Ohio. This is in Belmont County across the Ohio River from Moundsville, West Virginia. They traveled to St. Joseph, Missouri and then started out on the walking trail.

And this is about the limit of what I know about the steamboat, etc. Is there any way to confirm this and passengers? And is there any knowledge of the history of the steamboat, captain, and or related information.
Thanks. Grant Kearns

From: Nori Muster
To: Grant Kearns
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 1:30 PM
Subject: Re: steamboat_mail

Thank you for your letter. I searched the Way's Packet Directory for a steamship Cosignee, but could not find any mention. I found two Captain Lockwoods in the index, but one was J.B. and the other was Richard J. Lockwood, neither had an association with any ship that sounded like Cosignee.

I found this entry under "Consignee":

SW p wh b. Wheeling, Virginia, 1848. 210 ft. long on deck. Egines, 17's - 5-1/2 ft. Three boiers, each 36" dia. by 22 ft. Machinery by Phillips & co., Wheeling.
Ran Cincinnati - St. Louis. The Chiro, Illinois Delta reported on May 22, 1849, that CONSIGNEE was there yesterday with 240 emigrants bound Pittsburgh to St. Joseph, Missouri, bound for California, callilng themselves Pittsburgh and California Enterprise Co.
The CONSIGNEE had collided with the CAROLINE March 19, 1849, and three wre drowned. Lost by stranding at Capge Girardeau, Missouri, January 10, 1852.

On Aug 17, 2007, at 11:25 AM, Grant Kearns wrote:

Hi,
Just came across this today as I was in process of deleting my emails as somehow it got missed, so sorry I didn't respond to you sooner. This is exciting.

Yes, I'm sure this is the boat. As the name "closely" aligns with the spelling I had earlier. And the place of construction at Wheeling sounds logical as it would have been close to Dille's Bottom,where the Lockwoods would have lived in that time period. Dille's Bottom is across the river from Moundsville, West Virginia.

I never knew about a collision, but must have occurred close to Pittsburgh either before or shortly after the 49ers would have boarded.

I have been part of a Lewis and Clark reenactment organization that completed the commeration on Sept. 23, 2006. So, I was part of the 2000 trial run from Pittsburgh to Louisville. We tried to stay pretty close to L & Cs schedule which took us from August 31 to October @ 15th. So, 1 1/2 months. Then I did in 2003 mid November to mid December we had a replica Keelboat that went up the Mississippi from Cairo to Wood River, Illinois, again staying close to L & C time frame. The Keelboat was 55' and weighed about 7 Tons+, and according to Coast Guard regulations we were required to have a disguised motor which we used most of the time against the current. Except a few times when we had the wind behind us we would put the sail and put the motor in neutral. One of those days was when we left Thebes, Illinois and we had a strong wind behind us and with motor in neutral, we sailed from Thebes to Cape Girardeau, a distance of about 15 miles - and that was the day that several of us on the Keelboat, feel we sailed like Lewis and Clark. And of course, this is exciting to me to think that we must have been close to the remains of the Consignee as we sailed along with the power of nature.

And the steamboat era is interesting to me - to think that L & Cs expedition and all of human kind up until 1807 had only man , beast of burden and nature's power to move them along. What a technological advance the steamboat was!

Thanks again for your work on finding this information and your response, you made my day and of course I'm greedy - so, if you find any other information I would appreciate it.

By the way from what I can determine, my great grandfather John Kearns stayed only about a year in California. Family story goes - that he mined about $3500 dollars of gold, got sick with fever and his tent mate made off with his gold.

And sometime after that he would have left most likely by way of San Franciso and sailed -steamboat?-to Panama. Walked across Panama as the family story goes. Then possibly steamboat to Cuba, to New Orleans, to Cincinnati and then back to Pittsburgh, basing this on other story I had read about some of 49ers doing this. I do know he ended back in Pittsburgh and married my great grandmother in 1852, they lived in Rockeby Lock, Ohio and survived Gen. Morgan's raiders in 1863 and then moved to Zanesville, Ohio, purchasing a 73 acre farm in April of 1865. John died in 1898, from consumption (TB), which possibly could have been from the gold fields.

Thanks again for your efforts and response. Grant Kearns


Nori replies:

Great! Mystery solved! I am also fortunate to have found information about my father's side of the family. Geneology is so addictive. My father was an orphan, so it was extremely difficult to know where to begin. One of my relatives from his side sent me some obituaries for my great grand mother and that got me started.

Glad I could help out. If anyone has any further information, please contact Steamboats.com and I will make sure Grant Kearns gets the information. -n

Editor's Note: See LatestNews - more information on this subject.





A new mystery boat - help identify a boat depeicted in three old photos recently purchased at an estate sale: click here to go to steamboat museum mystery photos.





On Jul 31, 2007, at 4:26 PM, Kris Killman wrote:

Hi Nori,
My name is Kris Killman and I'm an artist in Southern Illinois. I put together a team of artists and we bid a mural project for the town of Metropolis Illinois. Located on the Ohio river this sleepy little town has a casino and plenty of tax revenue to do civic enhancement projects like murals. We are currently painting 6 murals in town and this riverboat is the George Cowling. It ran between Paducah Kentucky and Metropolis in the early 1900's. The story goes from the photo I've been working from that the Captain was told not to go to Metropolis that winter morning because ice was clogging up the river. He defied his orders because the winter was so bad that the town was running out of supplies. He made it to Metropolis and got on his bull horn and hollered out for the town folks to come and help unload the boat and help moor it so that the ice wouldn't crush the hull as was happening to many boats that winter. The photo I'm working from says 1918. The story goes that the town folk were unloading the boat handing the freight across the ice. Then they saved the boat. Black and whites working side by side to save it. I'm about half way done on this scene which is being painted on the Community center on the town square. It's 12'x 20' long.





Also the historians say that the boat was used extensively during fair weather to take honeymooners who got married in Metropolis back to Kentucky. Apparently it was easier to get married in Illinois than Kentucky back then. They would come from Kentucky in their best "go to town clothes" and get married and ride the Cowling back to Paducah, Ky. I have a summer shot of the boat with folks all dressed up. Ladies with summer umbrellas and all.

It's been great fun painting this and I'll be a little lost when it's over. Though I'll go back to the fine art business when we are done some time in about 5 weeks.

Take care,
Kris Killman www.killmanart.com

Editor's Note: See another mural by Kris Killman in the Steamboats.com museum click here.





On Jun 21, 2007, at 12:09 PM, S.B. wrote:

Hi -
My brothers and I have land on the Red River, located in Marksville (Fifth Ward) Louisiana. My brother is opening a marina on the river and the road to it is called Eggbend rd because the property is in a curve on the river where a boat would dock and people from the community would go to meet it to trade eggs and fur. He wants to name it Eggbend Harbor to revive the history of steamboat trading done there. This land has been in our family for generations, but the only knowledge we have of it is what was passed on through the years. If you have any information on steamboats in this area or trading done on them in Avoyelles Parish, I really would appreciate it. He wants to put a picture of a steamboat in the river on all the signs and use as a logo, so any pictures would help also.
Thank You in Advance,
Stephanie Bordelon (email)

Editor's Note: If you have information to share, please write to Stephanie Bordelon using the email link.





On Jul 18, 2007, at 8:01 AM, Larry Riney wrote:

I have written a book about the St. Louis river men and women and their economic struggle against the northern railroad promoters in 1856 titled: Hell Gate of the Mississippi, the Effie Afton Trial and Abraham Lincoln's Role in It. It is the documentation of the first steamboat-bridge disaster on the Mississippi and the trial that followed. It also was one of the major conflicts that divided the South from the North before the great war. In it the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce-led river coalition sued the bridge owners for the cost of the destroyed Effie Afton. Abraham Lincoln defended the bridge in what might possibly be a compromised trial -- at least the jury was stacked in any event. How can I get my book in front of the researchers who use your site, as well as your bookstore?

Editor's Note: See the book at your online Steamboat Bookstore (click here), or order it from Amazon.com (click here).





On Jul 4, 2007, at 4:42 PM, Dfdorr@aol.com wrote:

The 1880 Census of New Orleans, p. 273, notes Chas. S.D. Porter, Steamboat Commander. The obituary of Dr. Sidney Dale Porter (Baton Rouge State Times, Feb. 10, 1936) notes that "his father was the late Capt. Sidney Porter, [who] as a commander of river steamers was well known along the lower Mississippi." Charles Sidney Dale Porter was the son of Sidney Dale Porter, who died in Mobile in 1865; he was Naval Constructor for the Confederate Navy at New Orleans and Mobile. The elder Sidney was the brother of John Luke Porter, of Merrimack/Virginia fame. Oddly, Charles Sidney Dale Porter does not appear in your present data.

Should you find any further info, could you kindly let me know? Thank you!

Editor's Note: Please reply directly to dfdorr click here.





From: Alexander Karpov
Subject: "Krasnoyarsk" Steamer in Russia
Date: June 12, 2007 10:41:22 AM MST
To: Steamboats.com
Reply-To: Alexander Karpov

Dear Nori,

I'm writing the message on advice from our client and customer Mr. Daniel Eichenberger from Luzern, Switzerland. Daniel being a great fan of paddle steamers recently made us arrange for him and his friends a trip on "Krasnoyarsk" paddle steamship on Lena river in Russia from Kirensk port down to Yakutsk (it's in Siberia). Obviously the trip was very successful and he gave me an idea of advertising such kind of trips for the steamship lovers in many countries. "Krasnoyarsk" was built in 1959 in Hungary - project 737 and is obviously the last one from the series which is still used - it operates May-Aug for short cruises from Yakutsk to Lena Pillars and back - 3 days/2 nights. And Daniel took another route - it was the first sail when the ship was going from the winter dock in Kirensk (Irkutsk region, Russia) to Yakutsk. And obviously the trip was great fun. After being involved in such kind of travel for the first time I've a little studied the situation with paddle wheelers in Russia and found that in fact there is not much left. Alongside with "Krasnoyarsk" which is still being operated, we have a couple of ships of the same series "Irkutsk" and "Blagoveschensk" which are docked for the long term in Kirensk - it means that in 1-2 years they will either be renovated if they find investor of scrapped.

Also there exist some ships of this series which were converted into floating hotels (with big reconstructions). Another interesting ship is "Gogol" - operated on North Dvina river in Archangelsk. The ship was built in 1911 and after completer renovations is used for tourist cruises in Archangelsk area. I enclose some information and pictures I have herewith.

A couple of words about us - ZETOURZ, Ltd. is on the travel market of Russia and former USSR for 14 years. And the joint experience of our personnel amounts to 35 years in the international travel business. Our people used to work in famous Russian companies, including the INTOURIST holding, not only in travel, but in hospitality business too. We have two operating offices both in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Our mission is to provide our partners and, accordingly, their clients with a magic combination: price-quality-good memories.

We operate tours to the vast majority of the Russian cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Siberia, the Far East, the Black Sea area, etc.), Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan), Baltic states. We also arrange travels to other European countries.

We focused on a wide range of travel products: sightseeing tours, MICE, both FIT and group travels. Air and railway tickets are available under the best tariffs too.

Our complete list of the hotels includes almost 500 properties in 200 cities of all former USSR 15 countries.

Considering the above information we thought it might be interesting for your members to learn more about these ships and probably to take part in one of the cruises.

We hope that the information above is of interest to you and look forward to your reply.

With best regards,
------------------------------------
Alexander Karpov
Zetourz
Director
Moscow
Russia
phone/fax: +7 495 4548338
mobile: +7 926 2110327





Hi Alex,

That is great news. I bet we have a lot of visitors here at Steamboats.com who whould love to stay on a paddlewheeler there. I understand that some of the ships are hotels, like the Delta King of Sacramento, CA, USA.

I will post your photos in the virtual Steamboat museum and add your URL and email address to the "real ships" section of our link collection.

Editor's Note: Click here for the photos at the steamboat museum.

For paddlewheel steamboat tours in Russia - contact Alexander Karpov, director of Zetourz - Email: Alexander Karpov





On Apr 12, 2007, at 3:33 PM, Michael Comfort wrote:

Am looking for a steam boat operating or not...one needing to be saved from the scrap yard or torch...something that can be partially restored, converted to a small restaurant.....either a dregging barge, a push boat, a side wheeler anything of a historic value, look, or nature...am in the Pittsburgh area...thanks for all help in advance!
Michael Comfort 724 258 3009





On May 3, 2007, at 11:43 AM, Gale wrote:

I have a question:Looking for a Steamboat that ran on the Mississippi River{around Caruthersville,Cottonwood Point} My Grand Father and his Brothers played music on this boat.He was born in 1907 in Cotton Wood Point so I figure it was probably around the yr 1923.
Gale (email - click here)





On Mar 10, 2007, at 1:40 PM, PETER KATHY SHAW wrote:

I am trying to locate any information available on my ancestor, Linus Logan. We know that he was captain of the steamboat Mail. In 1844, the Mail was run into and damaged by the steamboat Clipper while navigating the Ohio River near Manchester, Ohio. Any info on either Linus Logan or his steamboat Mail would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Kathy Shaw email





Need help identifying a mystery toy boat:



On Mar 10, 2007, at 3:39 PM, Bruce Mackey wrote:

The boat is made of a hard plastic, so it could be from the 60's. The top disk was attached to the axles of the paddle wheels to either turn or move up and down as the wheels turned. It used to have two stacks, only one of which is left. I measured it and it is about 12" long, 6" wide and 7" tall, though of course it would be longer and taller if it were all together. :-)

It would be great to find a picture of one that wasn't broken. Even better would to be able to buy one on e-bay. :-)

Thanks again! - Bruce

Editor's Note: If anybody has information about this toy boat, please send it in!! (click here for contact info.)

NEWS!!
On Apr 22, 2007, at 1:34 PM, Bruce Mackey wrote:
nori,
I found a poster for the toy boat on e-bay! Mystery solved (though I think I'd like to get a the real toy one of these days).
-Bruce







On Dec 30, 2006, at 2:10 PM, Kssneegas wrote:

I am trying to locate information about steamboats that ran from New Orleans up the Mississippi to the Ohio River carrying immigrants who landed in New Orleans.

My ancestors came to New Orleans in 1850 and traveled to the Ohio River and deported in Southern Indiana.

I would like to find out more about the steamboats and possibly locate lists of passengers if those exist.

Karla Sneegas
email
Indianapolis, Indiana





On Dec 28, 2006, at 2:10 PM, rusty mills wrote:

Hey Nori,

I am sending you 2 more pictures one is a closeup of the face of the ring. We still havn't had much luck figuring out the boat or the owner of the ring but I have taken the ring to a person who specializes in restoration and cleaning so I supposed to get it back this week. Again the story behind the ring is it was found in Upper East Tennessee between Bulls Gap and Greeneville, our thoughts are that a group from Louisiana called the Washington Artillery ( a unit from New Orleans) was the group that was camped here. Besides the ring there were 3 Louisiana cuff buttons found within a 12-15 ft circle around the ring. Of course I still feel the key to the ring is the picture of the boat on the front, Identifing the boat will probably give us the name of who owned or captianed the boat and possibly the owner of the ring.

Again Thanks for your help.
Rusty Mills
Email - click here











On Dec 6, 2006, at 9:22 AM, L and R Larsen wrote:

Hi Nori,

My wife, Becky, and I have been "Steamboatin" once or twice a year since 2001 on the Delta Queen. We have met a lot of nice people and heard many stories. John and Elizabeth Baker, and nice couple from St. Paul, were on our first trip, the Great Steamboat Race from NOLA to St. Louis in 2001. John had paddled a canoe from Lake Itasca to St. Paul when he was a teenager. He taken the DQ down to St. Louis from St. Paul in 1979 and was completing his total Mississippi river travels on the 2001 trip. He and his wife had been displaced from their room by President Carter when he came on board for the week back in August of 1979. They were given another nice cabin. John and Elizabeth has quite a few stories about that trip. Becky and I had gone down to the Arch in St. Louis to watch the DQ arrive with the President on board. That was the first time we had ever seen the DQ. The arrival was quite a sight with all the Coast Guard boats circling the DQ, the secret service working the crowds, calliope playing. All the bridges were closed. There were about 10,000 of us on the levee. Lots of political speeches on the bank. Amy even said a few words.

In any case after the 2001 trip, we have visited the Bakers in St. Paul several times. They have a nice place on the banks of the Mississippi. Vice President Mondale had provided them with a copy of the official President's log of the week Jimmy Carter was on the DQ. Which you like a copy of it? It is interesting reading of what took place during that week in the life a President on the DQ. It might be a good addition to the museum.

Lance and Becky Larsen

Hey Lance & Becky, Thank you for the stories. The DQ has a plaque on the door where JC stayed. I've seen it.





On Oct 16, 2006, at 8:45 PM, Mack H Fox wrote:

Hey fellow Steamboater, hope you can help me. I am trying to locate the current whereabouts of a boat built back around 1985. Her name is TULE PRINCESS, designer/builder - David Sarlin (now deceased, I think). I am interested in the vessel and would very much like to locate her. I sincerely hope she was not broken up following his death. If you know or have any information, please contact me: email - click here

Thanks for your help! Mack H. Fox

On Oct 18, 2006, at 4:15 PM, Mack Fox wrote:

Thanks Nori, save yourself the time, I appreciate it, several boaters have already contacted me and TULE is in Bay City, MI and I have a name of who to call. I knew it would only be a matter of time. There is power in numbers. Thanks for all your help and consideration. Hope to be announcing something to the community very soon.

Mack





From: "Ruth Hudson" email
Date: October 12, 2006 7:51:42 PM MST To: Nori
Subject: steamboat_mail

My ancestor, Phillip Whitzel (Whitesell), was a river boat pilot on the "Phebus". He worked on the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers. He made his home in Covington, KY. in 1830. He died at age 53 on the river, maybe in Vicksburg, Mississippi. (b.1786 d. 1839)

So you have info on this river boat or my ancestor?

Ruth Hudson





From: Carol & Sandy email
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 05:48 PM To: Nori
Subject: post_a_comment

Hello:

I am looking for pictures of the equipment of my uncles the Suiter Brothers. Their operation was in Manchester, Ohio fro, 1926 to 1948. They had a steamboat name Alice and a smaller boat named Sue. They had dredge, barges, etc.

Sandy McGuffin





From: email
To: Nori
Date: Saturday, October 14, 2006 05:05 pm
Subject: post_a_comment

Capt. E. H. Thomas wrote in the Saturday Evening Post from Burlington, Iowa that my gggrandfather, riverboat pilot, Jerome Ruby, was taken into service by the northern army, in the port of St. Louis, to pilot boats on the river in the lower Mississippi. The date was July 4th 1863. he said the few northern pilots would agree to do this service for the Yankees because it was like driving down a shooting gallery. another pilot by the name of White was also taken at that time. How can I find out more on this.

Georgeann McClure





On Sep 5, 2006, at 9:40 PM, John Lindsey wrote:

Hi Nori,
I just found your site and the name steamboat reminded me of a fishing trip 15 years ago on Oregon's North Umpqua river. I looked up and saw this beautiful lodge looking down on this beautiful creek flowing into where I was not catching any steelhead. Later my guide and I went up to the lodge for dinner and discovered it was named Steamboat Lodge and the creek running into the Umpqua was named Steamboat Creek. They were named for famous outdoor writer of the 1930's, Zane Grey. It seems he was an excellent writer but a lousy fisherman. Today when you do not catch anything, you get "skunked." Back then you got "Steamboated." Poor Zane got a lodge and creek named after him but today I can truthfully say, "I got skunked where Zane Grey got steamboated."
Thank you.
John Lindsey





August 4, 2006

Dear Group Activities Planner;

Tall Stacks Music, Arts & Heritage Festival 2006 is coming to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky in October. Eighteen Steamboats from around the country will join in the extravaganza along the banks of the Ohio River. We at AAA in Cincinnati have chartered the Grandest Steamboats in the world - The Mississippi Queen & The Delta Queen - for this very special event. We still have space available and we are offering some nice discounted prices.

This is a chance for you and your group to attend one of the country's Top Five Special Events, from The Best Seat in the House - The Magnificent Mississippi Queen or The Historic Delta Queen! Also, we offer One Complimentary Stateroom for every Ten Staterooms your groups buys.

I would be happy to help you promote the trip with free customized flyers and a free travel presentation.

Please don't hesitate to call me if you're interested in this terrific trip. I can be reached at (513) 762-3497 or (800) 916-7223 or email email.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely
Joe Ramos
AAA Royal Tours





On Aug 8, 2006, at 10:14 PM, Thomas Mitchell wrote:

Dear Sir,
While browsing the internet I came across the "Delta Queen" information and noticed that you did not mention 1957. In 1957 I worked for Alcan in Kitimat in Canada and stayed on the Delta Queen for a few months the enclosed photos were taken at that time, one was taken on the stairway. I thought you might be interested.
Yours sincerely,
Thomas Mitchell






Editor's Note: View more photos of Thomas mitchell's photos of the Delta King in Canada, 1957, at the Online Steamboat Museum: click here.





On Jul 7, 2006, at 6:50 AM, william h schreiber wrote:

Good morning,

My wife and I took a very enjoyable steamboat river cruise aboard the Mississippi Queen a couple of years ago, During that cruise the "Riverlorian" aboard gave a history of the Delat Queen and the other two craft in the fleet. In the coarse of the discussion he mentioned the origin of the steam calliope that is aboard the Delta Queen as having come from a defunct circus. I checked your on-line files for that information but I have only been able to discern the following: In March 1959 Simonton & Quinby arranged to purchase a steam calliope and refurbish it for a 1960 debut. It was debuted in February of 1960 and there were a number of articles mentioned in the steamboat museum info about it that were published in February and March of 1960. No where does it mention where. Simonton & Quinby purchased the steam calliope and what its history was.

Can you tell me anything more about it?

Thank you.
Bill Schreiber

PS - We had a great cruise and plan to take another steamboat river cruise again!

On Jul 7, 2006, at 2:56 PM, Nori Muster wrote:

Hi Bill,

There's nothing like a paddlewheel cruise.

Here's the info. about the history of the D.Q. calliope from my site:
http://www.steamboats.com/museum/deltaqueen-i58.html

1958 - Also in January, Simonton asked his associate EJ Quinby to locate a steam calliope for the vessel. By April, Quinby had tracked one down. It had been aboard the Island Queen steamboat, which sank in 1936. It was retrieved by the boat's calliopist, "Crazy Ray," and later acquired by a circus couple who offered it to Greene Line Steamers for $1,000. By June, Quinby made a $100 down payment.

The Island Queen carried passengers to and from Coney Island.

I also found accounts on the Internet that the calliope came from the Showboat Water Queen, but that does not sound accurate. The account at my website is taken directly from the correspondence of E.J. Quinby and Richard Simonton.

Hope this meets you well,
Nori

P.S. May I post our correspondence at my steamboat blog? Always good share the research and information.

On Jul 7, 2006, at 3:03 PM, william h schreiber wrote:

Ms. Nori,

You most certainly may! Thanks for taking the time and trouble for looking it up. I am a retired circus performer so when the Riverlorian said it came from a defunct circus around the mid to late 1950s, I went up and asked him about it. He said he thought it was King Bros. Circus, which went defunct in 1956 and they did indeed have a steam calliope that they had used for parades. I happened to be at a circus blog site recently and there was a photo of the old King Bros. calliope wagon. So I posted the info I sent you with the circus name in it, but another poster came back and said that my info was incorrect. So I went a-searchin', your www.steamboats.com came up, and the rest is history. I am curious if you know who the "circus couple who offered it to Green Line" was. Thanks again. I wonder if the calliope retrieved from the sunken Island Queen could have been the one used on the King show before the "circus couple" offered it to Green Line. The principles in King Bros. were Floyd King and Arnold Maley at the time of its folding.

Bill Schreiber





On Jun 15, 2006, at 8:13 AM, A.K. wrote:

My great great great grandfather was a captain on the Delta Queen. I am looking for how to go about searching this out. I'm not sure about my info. but his name was George Washington Smith he was my Grandmother's father.

Editor's Note: Please email Alma if you have information: click here.





On Jun 11, 2006, at 12:23 PM, Turner, Michael A wrote:

Nori,
I found the information I was looking for; the steamboat was the Tom C. Powell, it was wrecked in the Ohio river near Paducah, KY from ice floating in the river. They found my great-great grandfather with his hand partially out of the water as he had been wedged between part of the boat and some cargo, what an awful death! The whole account was written in the paducah paper at the time, I wish they had a searchable archives because I''d like to read more about it.

I found another boat named Tom Powell on some internet site but it wasn't the same one as my ancestor was killed on.

anyway, I thought you'd like to know,
thanks
M. Alan Turner

Nori's reply: Hi Alan, Thanks for the update. What a horrible death! That's history for you. You have to be ready for what you find. My first husband's ggx11-grandrather was drawn and quartered by British soldiers after the seige of Edinburgh Castle. That means they cut off his arms and legs, then hung him from the market cross. They were mad at him for minting coins with the likeness of Mary Queen of Scotts. We went to Edinburgh in 1994 and saw his house, which is now the John Knox House museum, also the place where he was hung.





On May 30, 2006, at 12:55 PM, Vern Pomeroy wrote:

I am in search of a photo, or other image of the Shreveport; I have learned there were three boats by this name, the one of interest to me is the one on charter to Captain J. La Barge, and made the trip from Saint Louis to Fort Benton, Montana Territory in April to June of 1862. My great grandfather made that trip, I have his diary, and I have had a difficult time locating much poop on the boat, etc...especially an image or photo....any suggestions would be much apprecitated.
email Vern Pomeroy





On 29 May 2006 Steve wrote:

I currently have a pontoon boat that is a side wheeler. I mounted an old David-Bradley garden tractor on the deck, and replaced the rear wheels with paddle wheels. I use a 3 1/2 Briggs, and the wheels turn at about 25 RPM. I would like to convert to steam, but I know only a little about steam, and need some info. Please contact me if you know of any one who could help find a small powerplant to buy, or of any books or other resources. Thank you in advance!
email Steve - click here





15 May 2006

Andrew Ward writes:

Just a note that might fill in one gap in listing for the steamboat St. Nicholas. This comes from an interview with Elmo Steele in the W.P.A. slave narratives:

"My pa was a wheat farmer up in Ohio and fo' the war was a wealthy man. We rid in purty two wheel buggies and drive five horses. I went to school with the white folks up there. Some of my teachers' names was, Mr. Brantly, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Jerry Moorefield, Miss Hopestick and Mr. Brown. My life when a small chile just rocked along with just a living in a quiet-like way with a little work and little play, and a-going to Church and school. It went on like that till I was about fifteen years old, when I got restless as boys will do. I took it in my head I wanted to see a little of the world and ramble around a little. I got work on a boat on the Ohio River from Charleston to Bay Loch. For four years I made them trips on that old boat St Nicholas under Captain Sworn."

I can't guarantee that this recollection of a Captain Sworn is accurate, but everything else Steele says checks out.





10 May 2006

Hello Nori, Do you happen to have any information or photographs of the design and the building of the Capitol Records Building. My husband's uncle Francis Cecil Matchette I believe was a construction foreman for that building and the Los Angeles Court House. My husband never got to meet his uncle. - Darla

Hi Darla, I have the brochure for the building's grand opening, which has floor plans:
"https://norimuster.com/capitolrecords/ (click "next" at the bottom of each page to see the whole brochure). By the way, this is one of my favorite buildings because of the family connection I feel with it. You too, probably. It is something to feel proud of. - Nori





07 May 2006

Vic Matulis sends his real estate art site: http://www.realty-art.com/ Log on for postcard graphics. Vic says: "Content is being changed often, please stop by again soon! And we need your help! If you have any funny or serious high resolution photo material that you can share, please send it to us. We need to expand the content."




One of the images available at Realty-Art.com: the Geenie House.





06 May 2006

It's a foggy morning in cyberspace and the air is thick with anticipation. People who do research here finally have a place to post their findings. Tell us your recent discoveries - the search engines will help get the word out to like-minded researchers. We also discuss historic preservation and history in general, and real estate. The page may update several times a week.

I would like to start by sharing a link about historic preservation in Phoenix, where I've been living for about a year. Phoenix.gov/historic/registers.html The site includes a guide for historic property research.





Click here to go back to next most recent steamboat news page. Or, enter your keywords in our internal search engine:

world wide web steamboats.com



Research Library Archive