Happy Thanksgiving

Hi, Wesley & steamboating colleagues:
Beautiful Thanksgiving afternoon here in Cincinnati with clear blue sky, bright sun and milder temperatures. Dug through some old accounts of Thanksgivings on steamboats in the past. Ellis Mace and others touched on it 100 or more years ago.

Thanksgiving was a big deal aboard the steamboats. Stewards, cooks and waiters had been busy for days laying in the best of the season. Turkey, beef, pork/ham, fish, game fowl, fruits, vegetables, makings for refreshing punches. Rich butter, cream, cheeses, hot breads and rolls abounded. Tables were arranged with seasonal decorations down the center. Dried nuts, apricots, raisins, cherries, apples, peaches were scattered down the center or in compotes for passengers to take as they pleased.
Night boat service between Cincinnati and Louisville went pretty much on schedule. The big L&C LINE boats mention leaving Cincinnati on Monday, Wednesday, Fridays; leaving Louisville on Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. No trips ever on a Saturday as that must have been 'boiler washing day' at either end. For weekend and holiday travelers the L&C boats left either end at 9:00 AM for the all day pleasure trip or to 'meet the boat' for return to Louisville or Cincinnati. Arrive in either city and remain aboard all night with breakfast in the morning. Some salesmen [drummers] took the Sunday boat for early arrival and business the next morning.

Thanksgiving dinner aboard was something long anticipated by passengers, officers and general crew. A number of passengers, schedules permitting, booked with their families just for the Thanksgiving trip. The big meal with trimmings would be called for 12:00 noon lasting some three hours. Words of blessing and thanks given by either the captain, man of the cloth traveling aboard, boat line owner or other prominent man of commerce, lawyer or politician of relatively high office who happened to be aboard. This an old tradition on boats/ships dating to the time when the most prominent male passenger aboard occupied a position between the captain and the passengers. After the long meal passengers walked the deck, weather permitting, talked, read or played 'light' games of cards. Men smoked enjoying brandy or port wine. The ladies adjourned to the cabin section to talk, read, knit or crochet [Idle hands were frowned on in those days].
No mention of the 'light supper' laid on later that day for those still hungry. Music from the cabin piano including hymn singing or other 'light and appropriate diversions.' [*Are church services still held aboard passenger river boats with hymn singing on Sunday mornings?].

The crew [On some of the brag boats] received a treat being served beef, pork, turkey etc., with trimmings. A Happy and Joyful THANKSGIVING, 2006 to you all.

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

Dear Dale and steamboat enthousiasts:

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Reading your posting really makes me hungry 🙂
Just turned on some good bluegrass tunes trying to imagine how Thanksgiving must have been on the City Of Louisville...

Greetings from rainy northern Germany,
Bernd

Greetings From the RH/RS Harbor

While not as elaborate a festive board as Dale described, Thanksgiving on the GRAND VICTORIA II, at Rising Sun, was memorable. After enjoying a tasty spread ashore at the Employee Dining Room (EDR), Christina, our Bridge Mate remarked soon after I returned to the boat, "Hope you are still hungry." Her folks had sent two huge go-boxes of great homecookin' down to the boat, and yes, I ate every delicious bite of mine. So much for the ole diet this holiday week.

We heard that the Rabbit Hash Shipyard closed a day early so Cliff could get the fixins cleaned and ready for his celebrated Possum Stuffing that everyone in these parts raves about once they get up the nerve to try some. Fannie baked the pies and Aunt Stella Mae brought her usual whatcha-ma-call-its. The Chief contributed two wild turkeys he shot over on North Branch, and from the smell of woodsmoke that's filled the bottoms, bonfires are burning on the riverbank below the General Store. And the celebrating may go on all night, or at least until the woodpile runs out, no one is left standing to scrounge for more, or the Rabbit Hash Volunteer FD is called out to wet down the party. Happens every year.