Summer Fun on the Str. GOLDEN EAGLE

MORE photos from aboard the Str. GOLDEN EAGLE...

(1) Engine Room
(2) Band
(3) Purser's Office

Str. GOLDEN EAGLE "cruise" continued...

(1) Maid on Texas deck.
(2) GOLDIE landed at night.
(3) Capt. Buck Leyhe, beloved master of the GOLDEN EAGLE, with the Streckfus Str. CAPITOL in the background at New Orleans.

Str. GOLDEN EAGLE cruise continued...

(1) Miss Ruth Ferris on deck.
(2) Roof and Pilothouse. Can't you just hear the "GOLDIE" chuffing along?
(3) Steaming around a bend on the Tennessee River.

What great photos! May I suggest though, that the photo of the "GOLDIE" landed at Pittsburg Landing is printed backwards, unless she tied up facing down river. My guess is that the Shiloh Battlefield sign is actually for the benefit of those arriving by river and not those whom have already spent enough time wondering through the park to get down to the river. As is, the sign would read backwards to anyone walkin' up the hill.

Could well be reversed, although downriver landings were not unheard of. Even in recent years, the DQ tied up here at Louisvlle with her head downstream more often than not.

Cars

Whose cars are on the bow? Also, did Capt. Buck often wear a boutonniere sp?, heck - flower, or was there a special occasion?

More GOLDIE

1) looks like high water in St. Louis. What is that structure on the Texas? It's not in the next picture. Also, which pix is older?
2) At the Eagle Packet wharfboat. Looks like supplies are arriving. Looks like PIASA on bow of downstream boat. What tugboat is that?

The two structures on the hurricane deck were cabins. One of them was for Capt. Buck and the other was shared by two chambermaids. The high water photo at the St. Louis levee was taken in 1945 by Edwin and Louise Rosskam, authors of Towboat River. The GOLDIE didn't run the seasons of 1944-1945 due to her boilers being condemned by the inspectors and no chance for replacement due to World War II. The tug aft of the wharfboat is the COLORADO, built in 1891 as the ARCHIE PARKER and also owned by the Eagle Packet Company, similar to the SUSIE HAZARD, which operated into the 1950's.

Here's an additional photo from that time period of idleness. Note, also, that her stacks were removed.

Str. GOLDEN EAGLE cruise...

(1) Hurricane Deck - Port Side
(2) Upper Decks - Starboard Side
(3) On Tennessee River with Lookout Mountain in the distance.

Saving the Pilothouse for Posterity...

Here's a WIDER ANGLE view of the levee showing not only the Eagle Packet Company wharfboat, COLORADO and GOLDEN EAGLE, but just aft of her is the PIASA (also an Eagle Packet Co. boat, formerly the MARY S. BLEES) and way down the wharf is the steamer IDLEWILD, later the AVALON and today the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE.

Judy the tug is the COLORADO, owned by the Eagle Packet Co.

Str. GOLDEN EAGLE cruise...

(1) Departing Pickwick Lock.
(2) Passengers dining on the boiler deck guard.
(3) Boy Scouts watching Golden Eagle pass from Tennessee River bluff.

Saving the Pilothouse for Posterity...

(1 & 2) Salvaging by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Grand Tower, Illinois.
(3) In Missouri Historical Society River Room - October, 1976.

Thanks Bill. I was hoping you'd see this thread because I knew you'd ID the tugboat. For what purposes was she used, and just in the St. Louis harbor I presume?

Fantastic pics, Keith!

I have an opinion on a few of the pics: First, I agree with Frank about the one at Shiloh being reversed. There is almost always a pretty good current there, and I really doubt they would have landed head down.
Second thing that struck me was how primitive everything was! I'm referring to the hog chains and braces that were just left out for anyone to trip over or bang a head or shin into on those pre-litigious days! Oh, and the naked light bulb in the band picture...the USCG would have a fit!
As far as those tugs at St. Louis, I'd guess they were used for a few things: moving the wharfboat in and out as the water went up and down, possibly mid-stream delivery of items from the boat store, and/or assisting in landing or turning around in adverse conditions.
Fourth, even though the notation says those are Boy Scouts watching from the bluff, I'd be willing to bet those boys are students at The Baylor School in Chattanooga, an expensive private boarding school for boys that sits on a bluff about midway of Williams Island below town.

Thanks for taking us back to a simpler (and in some ways more sane) time!

Thanks, Bob. Glad you enjoyed the "cruise" on the "GOLDIE"! I have a special interest in the Eagle Packet Company and especially the GOLDEN EAGLE, due to my long friendship and association with Ruth Ferris, who made many a trip on her. Over the decades I have amassed a barge load of photographs, slides, brochures and other Eagle Packet memorabilia -- and if and when I get to retire, I'd like to write a sequel to Capt. Roy Barkhau's 1951 history of the Eagle Packet Company, including the Eagle Boat Store and the Leyhe family's involvement in St. Louis river business for over a century, evolving into Eagle Marine Industries.

In the mid 1970's while spending a few days in St. Louis, Ruth took me to the MHS River Room, where we sat on the lazy bench in the pilothouse of the GOLDIE and she told fascinating first hand stories about some of her trips on the boat, the crew, pilots, etc. I was mesmerized and fully expected Capt. Buck to step through the door with his megaphone and say we were about ready to "let go" and head down the river! It was awesome and "if only" those stories of Ruth's could have been recorded. The book of Ruth's articles, published by the Mercantile Library, is but a mere scratch of the surface!

Indeed, the "GOLDIE" was primitive and would not appeal to 21st century travelers who expect state-of-the-art cruise ship amenities on steamboats but think this is how it really was in the long ago days on the river. I have some of Ruth's old home movies, made on the GOLDIE, and it is truly amazing to see what little "comforts" the boat had to offer, yet multitudes from all over the country and abroad flocked to ride her at every opportunity! It was a different era!

I'll bet you're correct about those boys watching from a bluff at Chattanooga as the GOLDIE passes by. Ruth had a color enlargement of this view on display above Capt. Buck's mahogany rolltop desk (from the Eagle Boat Store) in her Midship Museum aboard the BECKY THATCHER. I didn't think the clothing of the young men looked like boy scout uniforms, but Ruth had the newspaper photo containing that caption. Your idea sounds more plausible. Thanks!

The steam tug COLORADO, as you surmised, assisted in adjusting the wharfboat mooring with the fluctuations of the river -- and in some of Ruth's movies the tug is seen helping the GOLDIE turn out into the Mississippi and head downsteam -- a la bow thruster! Capt. Harris Underwood, for many years a pilot on the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE and who lived at Chattanooga, told me he sometimes did trip work on the GOLDIE and that, although she had steam steering gear, she could be a difficult handler.

Yes, it was truly a simpler and much more sane time (no cell phones, no laptops, no television, no radio) never to come again and sadly gone with the wind.

Photos:

(1) Cabin of the GOLDEN EAGLE with tables set for a meal. NOT exactly the J.M. WHITE salon -- or The Orleans Room!

(2 & 3) Capt. Buck Leyhe's rolltop desk in Midship Museum aboard Str. BECKY THATCHER at St. Louis. Note GOLDEN EAGLE photo at Chattanooga above desk with poster advertising cruises. Capt. Buck's megaphone and large photo of him with it aboard the GOLDIE in 1939. Round bottomed fire bucket from Eagle Packet Company Str. PIASA.

The GOLDEN EAGLE was originally the WM. GARIG which was built by Howards as a cotton packet. Because it was built as a cotton packet, it had a very narrow main cabin; too narrow to be a dining room after the boat was converted to a tourist boat. Therefore the passengers ate on the guard after the boiler deck guard was widened. Wonder what they did when the Mayfies hatched?
1. The WM GARIG brand new leaving the shipyard
2. Schedule and fares from the 1946 brochure

While looking through microfilm of back issues of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald for old Streckfus and AVALON ads several years ago, I ran across this ad for Heileman's Old Style in the June 8, 1950 issue of the paper. There in the background, is the unmistakable image of the GOLDEN EAGLE! Never knew her image appeared in any ads other than those for Eagle Packet Co. Has anyone else seen this ad before?

That 7 day trip would cost $518.40 in today's money...

The 9 day trip listed at the bottom of the advertisment is for a Cincinnati round trip. I wonder if she ever made it; I've never seen a photo of her at the Queen City.

GOLDEN EAGLE brochure

Here is a 1944 brochure by Cartan Travel of Chicago for GOLDEN EAGLE trips.

After becoming a tourist boat the GOLDEN EAGLE seldom ventured from the Upper Mississippi, Illinois, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. She went to New Orleans but those trips were not often on the schedule. And she did make a few appearances on the Ohio. Yes, she did make it to Cincinnati and there are photos of her on this part of the river.

In 1939, the GOLDIE made a round trip from St. Louis to St. Paul, a journey not made by a packet boat in 25 years. The cruise was widely publicized by the media, including The Christian Science Monitor who had a reporter on board. Ben Lucien Burman, noted author of river books, was aboard and, of course, a contingent of St. Louis steamboat fans (Ruth Ferris, Rudy Gerber, Jim Swift, etc.) were also on deck for the momentous journey. Michael Blaser's fine artwork entitled Last Packet North commemorates this trip.

Speaking of river trips and fares, herewith is a photo of a LEE LINE STEAMERS poster, advertising cruises from St. Louis to Memphis and return for the sum of $14. This poster is from the Ruth Ferris collection. Many decades ago Ruth purchased a large steamboat picture in a St. Louis antique shop. The frame was in bad shape and when she took it home and opened it up to repair and clean it, she found a real bonanza inside. For backing, the previous owner of the picture had used not one, but TWO of these Lee Line posters!

reverse view

This the probable correct view, so one can understand why it was reversed.