Topic starter
19/07/2009 5:23 pm
Yesterdays RIVER RAMBLING series at the Howard Steamboat Museum was another unforgetable day for anyone interested in steamboats. Many attendees arrived early and took the noon excursion on the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE. Chief Kenny Howe had the engineroom open for inspection and guests were welcomed to walk around and look to their hearts content. The boat left at noon and returned at 2 which left plenty of time to travel across the river to the museum for the start of the program at 3. The weather, although a little cloudy, was down right unbelievable for mid-July. It was cool and the humidity was low, in fact yesterday set a record, the lowest high temperature ever recorded for a July 18th, 71 degrees.
At the museum before Alan Bates' talk, John Fryant unvailed a beautiful model of a modern diesel towboat. The model was originally given to the museum by a gentleman who had built it from a kit a number of years ago, but he never completed it and it was rather "shop worn". John graciously agreed to refurbish and finish it which he did to perfection as only he can do. But the highlight of the model unvailing was John named the boat for the museums excellent curater Yvonne Knight. How surprised and thrilled Yvonne was when she helped remove the covering and saw her name on the boat. It was a great honor to a person who never gets the credit she deserves for the hard work she puts in at the museum. So the next time you visit the museum be sure to take a look at the YVONNE K., it's a much needed addition to the exhibits.
After the unvailing, Alan Bates' talk was everything a talk should be; it was informative and entertaining. Alan spoke about his river experiences from starting as a deckhand on the SARAH EDENBORN just prior to WWll through to, what I think is his crowning achivement, the designing of the NATCHEZ. Along the way he told about his friendship with Capt. Jim Howard and how Capt. Jim told him about designing sheer in a steamboat and other tricks of steamboat designs...such as the smokestacks are not exactly vertical. Thankfully Dave and John Tschiggfrie recorded the talk on DVD and hopefully they will make it available to the museum and anyone who wants a copy. Just like his STEAMBOAT ENCYCLOPEDIUM, Alan's talk at the 5th RIVERBOAT RAMBLE series will be a must have for any steamboat historian.
Once again Keith Norington did an excellent job. Keith never ceases to amaze me with the material he has. And Judy's steamboat chocolate chip cookies were a big hit with the over 50 guests who attended. It was a great day and BIG DOIN's.
20/07/2009 1:46 am
River Ramblings weekend
The Howard Museum's River Ramblings program produced by Curator Keith has now evolved into a full weekend of activities for those who are really interested in steamboats and the river. In fact, Louisville/Jeffersonville became the Mecca for steamboaters and appropriately so, since it's the home of one of the only two operating steamboats on the Mississippi River System.
Jim covered the waterfront wonderfully. I'd like to add a couple of things:
Friday night found early out of town arrivals at the waterfront restaurants Buckhead Mountain Grill and Rocky's, with a special treat of having the BELLE pass by closely on the Indiana side on her dance cruise. Several oldtimers gathered at a hotel suite to look over some slides of old boats from the William Reed collection. As Jim said, many rode the BELLE on her Saturday afternoon cruise before coming over to the Howard Museum carriage house - and who would have ever thought they would complain about being too cool on a steamboat in Louisville in July? In the crowd at Alan's presentation were people from Florida, New York, Georgia, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. One in attendance for his first time must be noted: Matt Stage from the steamer CHAUTAUQUA BELLE drove all night and did indeed make it to the BELLE early to visit with Chief Engineer Kenny Howe. After Alan's presentation and a viewing of the many great paintings and artifacts Alan brought to display, about 20 people converged on the Kingfish Restaurant for dinner, after which 11 souls crammed into a room at Towne Place Suites for more steamboating stories and reminiscing. On Sunday, a few made it back to the BELLE for the Sunday afternoon cruise, with Capts. Mark Doty and Mike Fitzgerald presiding topside and Chiefs Kenny Howe and Dan Lewis downstairs in the Engine Room. Another meal at Kingfish and dessert at Casey's place for the remaining few was a fitting end to a great weekend of fellowship, entertainment, and education. Only 11 or so more months until the next River Rambling - who and when will it be???? Pictures will be posted after a visit to my hometown Walgreens on Monday. Here's a rather grim statistic: I have now ridden this year on BOTH of the operating steamboats on the Mississippi River System...
20/07/2009 3:23 am
It was an amazing time, and I'm still writing down ideas as I think of what I learned and saw! Thank you all for being so hospitable! Hopefully I will see you all again soon!
20/07/2009 11:52 am
Thank you, all of those friends who came to the Howard Museum.
When one reaches my age he finds that his contemporary friends are gone, gone. . . You cannot know how wonderful your friendship is to me and how flattering it is for us to enjoy each other as we did yesterday.
Again, thank you very much.
Alan
20/07/2009 12:41 pm
MANY THANKS to ALL who took part in the fifth RIVER RAMBLINGS program at the museum on Saturday. It was wonderful to see EVERYBODY and along with our local members and guests we were delighted to welcome steamboat enthusiasts from New York, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio. The rare and very pleasant weather for mid-July in the Ohio River Valley added to the enjoyment of the event which, as Judy pointed out, has now become not only an annual program, but an entire weekend of steamboat fun and fellowship with the opportunity to ride on the Str. BELLE OF LOUISVILLE, tour a steamboat museum, enjoy a group dinner with friends and attend "prelude & postlude" sessions of slide shows, picture sharing and congenial conversation. I made a long ago promise to my dear mentor, Miss Ruth Ferris, that I would always do whatever I could to keep interest in steamboat and river history alive. Also, it was Capt. Jim and Loretta Howard's dream that the museum become a center for educating the public about our river heritage and for sharing the story of a way of life now gone with the wind. With these programs I strive to fulfill the promise I made to Ruth and to maintain the dream of Loretta and Capt. Jim. Thank you to all who support the museum, not only for River Ramblings, but all year long with your annual memberships, gift shop purchases of "steamboat stuff" and attendance at our other events such as the spring festival, fall art show, wine tasting party & silent auction, Christmas open house, etc.
As I mentioned in my introductory remarks on Saturday, my association with Alan Bates goes back to 1968 when, as a 14 year old "ablaze' with the steamboat fever, I first shook hands with him at the museum, of which he was a founder and served as the first president. Over the past four decades, Alan, and our beloved Miss Rita, have been among those wonderful river people who kindly encouraged my steamboat interest, shared generously and whose friendship I have long treasured. Alan, THANK YOU for a terrific program about your fascinating life experiences and for bringing art and artifacts to share -- as well as blowing the "landing whistle" on the alphorn!
Kudos and thanks to Judy Patsch for her usual able assistance and always generous supply of cookies, which she baked and hauled 400+ miles from Rock Island. She estimates that over 27,000 cookies have been handed over the rail at Lock & Dam #15 to the DQ, MQ and AQ, as well as being distributed to other riverboats and at gatherings of river folk at various points along the river system!
Thanks also to John Fryant, for the surprise presentation of the YVONNE K. model, beautifully restored (by John) and named in honor of our indefatigable administrator. Yvonne does a tremendous behind-the-scenes job in keeping the museum operating and, since she often has to "push and shove" to get things accomplished, it's appropriate to have a towboat named for her! The look on her face when the model was unveiled and she saw her name on it was absolutely priceless!
It was a most memorable day in every way! Again, my heartfelt appreciation to ALL and let's continue to "keep up steam"!!!
"Curator Keith"
21/07/2009 3:00 am
And to add another facet to Alan's vast and varied career were some of his paintings he brought for display, the wonderful wood turnings and not the least in any scale his ALP HORN! ........not only did he give it a toot he graciously gave attendees the opportunity to give it a toot.
Thanks Alan for the grand and entertaining talk and for bringing your paintings & the alphorn. It was a grand and glorious afternoon indeed!