Strs. America / Cincinnati Race Anniversary

Since today marks the 80th anniversary of the August 19, 1928 race in the Louisville harbor between the sidewheel steamers AMERICA and CINCINNATI, here is a photo I recently acquired of the AMERICA. Quite a number of soldiers are aboard, the pilot is visible in the pilothouse and the calliope player is standing next to the instrument between the stacks. I'm wondering if this photo was taken in the vicinity of Fort Knox, a short distance downriver from Louisville.

Among our treasures at the Howard Steamboat Museum is the silver trophy cup, presented to the master of the CINCINNATI as winner of the race. We also have on display a large panoramic photograph (about 6 feet long) showing the rival boats at the beginning of the competition, belching huge clouds of thick black smoke, with the Louisville skyline as background.

The late John T. Smith, who long was associated with the Howard Museum and is much missed, loved to tell about the race, insamuch as his uncle, Capt. Mitchell Smith, was master of the AMERICA. The boat burned on September 8, 1930, while laid up near Jeffersonville, a victim of arson. In 1931, the Str. IDLEWILD replaced the AMERICA for some years before changing owners, moving on and later becoming the AVALON. Nobody had an inkling at the time that, some 31 years later, the sturdy sternwheeler would again return and become the hometown excursion boat, named BELLE OF LOUISVILLE.