Howard Steamboat Museum - 50th Anniversary Celebration

The 16th annual Victorian Chautauqua at the Howard Steamboat Museum is history. After a dreary week of rain and cold, the sun shone brightly and we were blessed with beautiful weather for both days of the festival. This year the theme was Celebrating Fifty Golden Years inasmuch as Sunday marked 50 years to the day that Mrs. Loretta Howard first opened the doors of the mansion to the public as a museum on May 18, 1958. Mayor Tom Galligan proclaimed Sunday as "Howard Steamboat Museum Day" and an official from the governor's office also delivered a proclamation. "Happy Birthday" was sung and birthday cake was served to the multitudes. A post office official was also on hand to do a commemorative one day cancellation for the museum's special day.

There were about 5,000 gate admissions for both days. Over 700 visitors toured the mansion on Saturday and one man told me that his grandfather had been a pilot on the Str. SPRAGUE and his uncle a deckhand on the mammoth towboat. A lady from St. Louis said that her husband had attended the Community School and had Ruth Ferris as his fifth grade teacher, also being indoctrinated with riverboat history. Another gentleman was much interested in all the lanterns and running lights on display and had once worked for a company which manufactured them for over a century. Sunday was a bit calmer but we again had many visitors and the vendors around the mansion grounds and in the carriage house reported good sales. The biggest chuckle of the weekend for me was when a little boy came up and said, "Excuse me sir, but did Abraham Lincoln live in this house?" Much missed this year was former DQ purser Ted Guillaum and his band organ, due to a conflicting engagement in Illinois. Many inquired about our affable organ grinder and we all hope he returns next year to serenade the museum grounds with lilting melodies! Jo Ann Schoen was on deck both days, helping at the front gate and also at the museum's outdoor gift shop.

As always, it is good to visit with the "river people" who come by which this year included Travis Vasconcelos, just back from a stint on the AQ, Jim McCoy, Chief Engineer on the BELLE of LOUISVILLE and his wife, Jim Reising, Kadie Engstrom, also a long time crew member of the BELLE, and Keith Baylor with son Alex. A recent and most welcome addition to the collection is a fine model of the Str. GORDON C. GREENE, built and generously loaned by Mr. Keenon Coleman, who also visited with his wife, Doris. It is displayed in the same large case with the great model Franz built of the CAPE GIRARDEAU and gives a good comparison as to how the looks of the boat evolved under the ownership of the Eagle Packet Company (1923-1935) and Greene Line Steamers from 1935 until her retirement in 1952.

A big THANK YOU to steamboat engineer/museum board member Kenny Howe, whose mechanical/electrical expertise has "rejuvenated" the long dead lighting in three exhibit cases containing boat models, silver and other artifacts from famous steamboats such as the J.M. WHITE, ROBT. E. LEE, NATCHEZ, DEXTER, HOMER SMITH, several pieces from ANCHOR LINE boats, etc. Thanks to Kenny, with able assistance from Jim Reising, those prized artifacts are again wonderfully illuminated.

Speaking of models, Greg Goldstein, who builds excellent steamboat models, including a fabulous one of the sidewheeler KATIE, came by yesterday and said he was there on May 18, 1958 on the museum's grand opening day. It was especially nice to visit with Ruth Richter Heffern, Loretta Howard's granddaughter, who said, "Wouldn't Grandmother be proud to see this day?" Indeed, I thought several times of how Capt. Jim and Loretta surely must be smiling down from heaven to see that their dream lives on after five decades, especially after the devastating fire of March 17, 1971, from which an amazing "comeback' has been made thanks to the efforts of MANY dedicated people!

THANKS to all who participated in ways great and small. After we catch our breath from this always fun but exhausting weekend, we'll begin preparing for the fourth offering in my "River Ramblings" program series on Saturday, June 28th at 3:00 P.M. Judy Patsch (aka "Miss Streckfus") will be presenting Rise and Shine for the Streckfus Line -- A Journey on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers with an Excursion Steamboating Dynasty. Details are available on the museum website at Howard Steamboat Museum - Home Page. Y'all come!

"Curator Keith"

P.S. I first began volunteering in 1968 when I was 14 years old. Herewith are two "vintage views" from my early days at the museum. The pilotwheel is from the towboat CHICKAMAUGA, later the ED. J. HOWARD, the photo taken in November, 1969. The view with the late Mrs. Catherine Richardson, then museum administrator, was taken in April, 1969, on the opening Sunday of the season. In those days we were open only from mid April through November. After 40 years involvement with the museum, I almost qualify as an artifact!