Topic starter
24/09/2011 12:43 pm
Travis had more energy than I did and got some pictures posted already...It was indeed a wonderful evening at the Howard for the dedication of the Collections Management Facility, aka Keith's Castle...It is now the Howard Museum, the little but bigger museum that can and does. The usual suspects were setting up the food tables when I arrived: Kadie Engstrom, JoAnn Schoen and Janice Molnar. Several other museum board members and volunteers were busy hauling things out to the Carriage House for the post ceremony gathering. A Howard strength is its wide-ranging support from its board members and volunteers. When Mayor Galligan spoke he said his first encounter with the Howard was the day after the fire when he was asked to put a sump pump in the basement. He never thought the place would recover. He now has frequent Howard encounters through requests from its administrator Yvonne Knight. We would be remiss if we didn't cite this Energizer Bunny for what she has done for the museum over the years. As Keith, Travis and I left last night, there was Yvonne doing dishes, a highly administrative task! So as a Life Member of the Howard Steamboat Museum I say with pride what a great evening it was and I am looking forward to today's events.
1) The mansion as seen from the second floor of the CMA, which is directly across the street.
2) some of the crowd at the ceremony
3) Curator Keith speaking while sound man Travis attends to the system
Topic starter
24/09/2011 12:53 pm
More reception pictures
2) one of the dessert tables set up in the Carriage House
1) the ribbon cutting, with Keith next to the mayor and Yvonne on the left
3) Capt. Charlie Lehman, Jim Reising, and JoAnn Schoen check out Keith's office area
Topic starter
24/09/2011 1:06 pm
and finally for Friday,
1) Keith with Ruth Howard, granddaughter of the mansion builders
2) Richard and Suzanne Martinez, with Alan and Rita Bates in the background
3) Keith with Alan and Rita Bates, Capt. Mike Fitzgerald and Jim Reising in the background
Now, over to the Howard for this day's activities (while detouring due to some walkathon which started to blaring music VERY early this AM...)
25/09/2011 1:30 pm
THANKS to ALL!
The Steamboat Bicentennial Celebration is now history! WOW! WHATTA WEEKEND! It's going to take me a few days to come down out of the clouds -- and to regain my strength!
The Friday evening ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for the new Collections Management Facility went very well and the weather was perfect. Many river people were in attendance and we all were especially happy to see Ruth Richter Heffern, granddaughter of Capt. Jim and Loretta Howard, and Capt. Alan and Rita Bates. Alan was the first president of the HSM when it opened in 1958 and still is very much a guiding light for us in many ways.
MANY THANKS to ALL who participated in the festive weekend by attending and helping with logistics. As I said in my talk at the ribbon cutting festivities, we are often referred to as "the little museum that CAN and DOES", but it takes the help of MANY to keep it going. River people, in their usual "happy to give" generosity, never fail to step up, help and make it all happen.
Despite the rain showers and cool temps on Saturday, an appreciative audience assembled in the carriage house and greatly enjoyed the very interesting and well presented programs of Capt. Mike Fitzgerald, musician John Gage and Travis Vasconcelos. Lunch was served and, during the food and fellowship, the BELLE passed upriver and blew a whistle salute. Attendees enjoyed the exhibition of fabulous river photos from the special collections of the University of Louisville, ably arranged by Jim Reising and assistants. John Fryant's beautiful art of the NEW ORLEANS and IDLEWILD/BELLE provided a dramatic and appropriate display behind the lectern. The afternoon closed with a presentation by John Waggoner, of Hornblower Marine Services, and Ms. Kitty Ruxton, district sales director for the Great American Steamboat Company, who formerly was with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company for many years. While we were celebrating 200 years of past steamboating history, John and Kitty brought the glad tidings of the return to the river next year of the Str. AMERICAN QUEEN and the continuation of overnight steamboating as we know and love it. It was a great way to end the day on a HIGH note!
The rain disappeared and the sun came out, as everyone gathered at the river to board the Str. BELLE OF LOUISVILLE for the chartered dinner cruise. Travis ("Mr. Wizard of the Whistles") presided at the calliope keyboard to pipe us aboard for a beautiful evening on the river with a delicious buffet dinner served in the cabin. Birthday cake was also provided not only for the 200th anniversary of steamboating and the birth of Henry Latrobe Roosevelt, who was born during the 1811 voyage of the NEW ORLEANS, but for contemporary steamboaters Jim Reising and Judy Patsch who are also observing natal days this week. It was also my honor to present Mr. Keenon Coleman, a staunch supporter of the Howard Steamboat Museum since it opened in 1958, with a LIFE membership in the museum for his many years of generous service. Our visitors greatly enjoy Keenon's models of the GORDON C. GREENE, BRYANT'S SHOWBOAT and towboat VALLEY BELLE, SPRAGUE and soon-to-arrive MINNIE BAY.
The sunset on the Ohio last night was breathtakingly gorgeous and all too soon, the Belle's authoritative whistle was blowing for the landing. My heartfelt THANKS to ALL (especially our planning committee of Kenny Howe, Jim Reising, Kadie Engstrom, Travis Vasconcelos, Chuck Parrish and Yvonne Knight) for making it a most memorable weekend.
The Courier-Journal covered the Friday evening ribbon cutting ceremony of the Collections Management Facility (CMF) and a well illustrated article appeared in Saturday morning's edition, with more photos featured on the newspaper website at The Courier-Journal | Louisville news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Louisville, KY | courier-journal.com.
And now, the ball is over, and it's time to get down to the business of filling the new CMF with all of the artifacts that have been stored in closets, attic, cellar, carriage and laundry houses for decades. While the CMF is NOT a museum and will not be open for public tours, Kenny, Jimmy and I will be happy to receive "river people" who visit --- and the coffee pot, just as on a steamboat, is always hot!
Again my THANKS to all and keep up steam!
"Curator Keith"
