S&D weekend

A great time was had by all in Marietta, OH this past weekend with the 76th annual meeting of S&D! The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed a boat ride on the m/v VALLEY GEM up the Muskingum River through Lock #2 and back to the landing. The TELL CITY pilothouse has received a new coat of paint and is looking great. The W.P. SNYDER, JR. is looking good as well and we received a report on the next phase of its restoration with interior painting, proper period lighting and period furniture and crew's personal effects being the main items to be taken care of.

Capt. Tom Dunn and Annie Blum shared their personal experiences of working aboard Streckfus Steamers' ADMIRAL in St. Louis and covered that big boat's history from her construction through her sad demise. Seeing pictures of the boat operating in her heyday, with something for all ages aboard, made us want to go ride the boat. Sadly we can no longer do that, so let's all support the steam excursion boats we DO have, which while they're not the ADMIRAL, are fine boats in their own rights!

The chief topic at the Board of Governor's meeting was declining subscriptions/membership. Remember, one NEED NOT be a son or daughter of a pioneer riverman to subscribe to the great magazine, the S&D REFLECTOR! The magazine is consistently top notch and is a bargain at one year for $35 dollars, 4 quarterly issues. If you have not joined or gotten a subscription, you really should -- anyone interested in steamboats and the river will find it fascinating, and keep in mind the REFLECTOR makes a great Christmas present that keeps giving all year long!

Like many history-minded organizations, we find ourselves facing declining membership. If you like steamboats.org, you will love the REFLECTOR. We also have a great time at our annual meetings in Marietta! We're a fun group and would love to have folks join us!