DELTA QUEEN, how many owners?

Including Greeneline, seven?? I think we need Judy to answer this one...

My best guess, no idea if the order or the amount is correct:

Greeneline, "DQSC", ONA, Coke, ACV, DN, Majestic America Line?

And my guess on owners before Greeneline:

California Transportation Corporation, Isbrandsten Steamboat Company, and the US government?

So ten total?

Judy is busying listening to Doc and David Tschiggfrie interpret steamboat photos here at the MUMR. Pat and I are listening intently...

Don't forget the River Lines.....11

My feelings are hurt. I could tell you right away, but now I'm going to make you do the math.

The Coca Cola Bottling Company of New York, Inc. was sold the Delta Queen Steamboat Co., Great Ocean Cruise Lines (the paper corporation that owned the MQ, and the in house travel agency Cruise America Travel by ONA right before the MQ came out in 1976. Coca Cola Bottling during 1980 spun off the steamboats. For each 20 shares of Coca Cola Bottling common stock owned a shareholder received one share of The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. common stock. It was during this brief period that Robert P. Mosier was company president. The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. remained publicly traded under that name until in 1986 Sam Zell, whom already was the majority stockholder purchased all outstanding shares of the company. Zell and Equity Holdings were the sole owners until 1992. A prospectus was circulated then announcing the issuance of 3.6 million new shares, so once again The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. became a publicly traded stock corporation. Sam Zell was Chairman of the Board, and Cody Engle, remember him, was President. During 1993 American Hawaii Cruises was acquired and the Board of Directors approved the corporate name change to American Classic Voyages. This led to the expansion of the company into the coastal boats, bigger ships for Hawaii, and ultimately the bust after 9/11 and Delaware North's ownership.

Okay, this brings up another question which yours truly is maybe too dense to grasp: When the U.S. Navy "took over" the boats at wartime, did they buy them from The River Lines, or did they appropriate them for wartime use and then return them to the owners who retained ownership on paper, even though they were not operating the vessels? If they bought them, did they pay fair market value, or was it sort of an "eminent domain" type of thing where they paid what they paid, like it or lump it? I know Tom Greene paid the Maritime Commission $46,000 for the DQ, but was this simply due to the fact that The River Lines had ceased to exist, or did the U.S. Government actually own the boats? Anyone know???

Isbrandsten Steamboat Company?

When did Isbrandsten Steamboat Company own the DQ? I thought they bought the DK after the War?

Wesley

Wesley, my source for a little bit of the DQ trivia stuck in my head...

http://www.steamboats.org/steamboat-pictures/delta-queen/delta-queen-history.html

Okay...lets see

1. California Transportation Company
2. River Lines
3. Isbransten Steamship Lines
4. US NAVY
5. Greene Line
6. ONA DBA Greene Line Steamber Inc and Delta Queen Steamboat Company
7. Coca Cola DBA Delta Queen Steamboat Company
8. Delta Queen Steamboat Company (spun off from Coke, public-holding)
9. Equity Holdings (Sam Zell) DBA Delta Queen Steamboat Company
10. American Classic Voyages (Public-holding) DBA Delta Queen Steamboat Company
11. Delaware North Companies DBA Delta Queen Steamboat Company, Inc.
12. Ambassadors International (Public-holding) DBA Majestic America Line

I stand corrected...my math says 12 now...thanks Frank!

Any additions necessary?

Not the same subject but don't want a new thread- I was reading in the Wall Street Journal how Sam Zell is making Chicago Cubs fans mad. I guess he owns both the Cubs and Wrigley Field and wants to sell them separately because he will get more money.

All I could think was if he had wanted to break up the various steamboats and how things might have been different there.

A few years back in a newspaper interview ( I believe when he was purchasing the Schwinn Bicycle Co.) Sam Zell referred to himself as a 'Grave Dancer' as to his penchant for purchasing distressed companies. Sounds like business as usual.