Vessel prices:
The river fleet going to American Cruise Lines are American Queen ($2.15m), American Countess ($1.6m), American Duchess ($200,000) and American Empress ($1.6m). Together with $750,000 for intellectual property such as trademarks, website domain names and certain business reports, the winning bid originally totaled $6.3m.

$300K adjustment:
However, an attorney for AQV parent the Hornblower Group said that because the river and lakes (coastal) vessels were part of an integrated business, certain materials were held jointly, and an adjustment of $300,000 was agreed.

At the Thanksgiving season, (W.W. Prather the boat owner) had arranged to pick up several crates of turkeys from a farm on upper Brush Creek. At the riffles in the creek, the boat barely cleared the shallows. They proceeded to the farm, loaded the crates of turkeys and hurried back downstream, (but) the boat could not clear the riffles.

Undaunted, the owner directed his deckhand to remove the turkeys from the crates and fasten their feet to the deck. With the turkeys in place, he commanded "full forward speed" and blasted his blunderbuss over the turkeys. The frightened birds flapped their wings wildly, and over the riffles went the Katie Prather. Chugging merrily on its way to Cincinnati to provide the main course for many Thanksgiving dinners.

I used mostly primary sources from the NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) in Washington, DC. Most of the information has never seen light of day until my work.

Meanwhile, one company's absence from the Kimmswick riverfront isn't due to current low water levels.

The Delta Queen Steamboat Company announced in 2015 that Kimmswick would be its port of call and headquarters. Before the historic vessel could embark on overnight excursions, it needed an exemption to federal law, which came in 2018.

But since then, the company has faced numerous setbacks, manager Phillip Johnson said.

He said the company spent 2019 trying to put together financing for the project, but that efforts were derailed in early 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down of the cruise industry.

In 2021, the historic Delta Queen sustained damage from Hurricane Ida, Johnson said.

"Only recently did the insurance monies come through and repairs to the vessel get underway," he said in an email. "The damage was primarily to the roof and outer decks, such as railings and a few windows. The interior of the vessel remains in good condition and thanks to the new roof has remained dry and preserved.

"We are currently in talks with a couple groups to secure a future for the Delta Queen as an overnight cruise vessel," Johnson said. "Should we be successful we most certainly plan to stop in Kimmswick."

The waterproofing membrane on the roof of the vessel was ripped away, along with several sections of handrail. Several doors were damaged and about a dozen windows were broken, according to the company. In the process, the shore power connections providing electricity to the Delta Queen were destroyed and the boarding stage heavily damaged.

After many years of planning and delays due to high water, and many other issues, work has finally begun on a new excursion boat landing in Kimmswick, Mo.

Ground has been broken, and the pilings are being placed. The long-anticipated arrival of excursion boats to the Jefferson County shores will soon be a reality, including the historic Delta Queen.

A month after Cincinnati's Board of Park Commissioners endorsed the idea of a no-bid contract for Queen City Riverboats to install a public boat dock at Cincinnati's Public Landing, Parks Director Kara Kish asked the city solicitor Tuesday to launch a formal bidding process for the marina's "construction and operation."

The policy change came less than a week after the WCPO I-Team started asking questions about the financial terms of the proposed deal and critics warned in letters to the city that the new dock would prevent the Public Landing from being used by overnight passenger vessels like the Delta Queen and American Queen.

Kimmswick, Jefferson County's main tourist destination, is bracing itself for harsh economic repercussions because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. "I really don't know where we are going," Kimmswick Mayor Phil Stang said. . . . .

However, the town is part of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), which represents 124 cities along the river, and Stang is a member of the organization's executive committee.

Stang said he is not sure how the pandemic will affect the planned arrival of the Delta Queen riverboat to a port being built for it in Kimmswick.

"It was supposed to come in around late spring of 2021," Stang said. "(The port, which is under construction) is still moving along, but like anything else, I have no idea."

Read the entire article: myleaderpaper.com

Hello Dave,
It's one of those clear sky and calm mornings here, and I sure hope we get a breeze later, otherwise it will be mighty hot. Tomorrow, Christmas day, the temperature is supposed to be 31Celsius (equivalent to about 88 degrees Fahrenheit) but unofficially, down the river valley, it is usually several degrees hotter. I must get outside before it heats up. When the days are like this, I like to pump my water from the river into my tank in the mornings (using my old circa 1930s electric windmill water-pump), and I also like to check my plantings including my vegetable garden.
I hope all is well with you, and that you have a very pleasant and peaceful Christmas and New Year. Your friend on the riverbank,
Lewis.

Along with other passionate advocates, the National Trust helped tell her story to lawmakers who had the influence to impact her future.

Phillip Johnson explains that thanks to the 11 Most listing and National Treasure designation, "we were able to get the word out and get people actively calling their congresspeople to save the boat. It made our issue important to representatives."

After years of petitioning local representatives, alerting the media, and asking Delta Queen fans for their support, the steamboat's advocates were successful; the Coast Guard Authorization (S. 140) passed Congress and was signed into law in 2018, enabling her return to operation as an overnight passenger vessel.

With her exemption well in hand, Delta Queen LLC is now in the process of a multi-year restoration. She's in need of over $10 million in repairs, including fire safety updates, more efficient generators, and sewage upgrades, as well as a litany of mechanical updates. Still, according to Johnson, it's important to maintain her historic mechanical character. "What the passengers will hear and see is what the Delta Queen is largely known for," he says.

On Dec 11, 2018, at 6:44 PM, KV Bunker wrote:

Howdy!

I just stumbled upon the wonderful steamboats.com site today and was just poring over the movies section.

Since I was born and raised in Sacramento, I instantly recognized this:



The very rural scene showing the 'Cotton Palace' being shoved toward shore more likely was shot on the Sacramento River side channel known as "Steamboat Slough" - or just as easily a similar stream on the eastern side of the main river, "Georgiana Slough." The main Sacramento is nearly always betrayed by taller California-style levees and a broader water surface, which are aspects quite so typical (especially before the 1940s and '50s) in the paralleling sloughs.



The earlier shot (above) was shot from the Yolo County bank opposite Sacramento, with what we now call "Old Sacramento" (back then "Skid Row") and the Southern Pacific Railroad's waterfront freight dock and railroad freight station in the background, and the CA State Capitol dome in very far right background; the mansard roofed building in far center distance is the landmark 926 J Building, which my late dad formerly served as building superintendent (it's now the Hotel Citizen). I have a hunch the steamer heading downstream mid-river was the old 'Napa City' but would have to study her details a lot more closely.

Old Sacramento got a long head start before Delta King arrived, having been instituted (slowly, at first) when Interstate 5 ripped through. The present Old Sac district was the original intended path for that freeway, and locals fought hard to get it move three blocks east. Sacramento thereby lost other historic buildings and most of the old Chinese district, but at least the original townsite was rescued. It took the establishment of California State Railroad Museum (where I worked about 15 years) and Old Sacramento State Historic Park in the late '70s to really put impetus to get the rest of the district (98% private commercial properties) either restored or reconstructed.

I recall when DK was rescued from her precarious situation near Rio Vista, and had gone on board her the first time after she was raised from the mud. I then joined others that triumphal day when her tired hulk was towed up to the old River Lines dock and went aboard numerous times during the two initial restorations. Of course we all celebrated when the Coyne Brothers finally managed to get DK to the state we now know and love, especially after the replicated sternwheel was installed. I must say how I'd get goosebumps climbing or descending Delta Queens grand staircase in my October 2004 cruise, recalling the same path on the King, and feeling their connection much more vividly thereby. It was fun talking with DQ officers and crew about DK; those who had never been aboard the King were very interested to learn anything they could about the other sister, particularly DQ's captains - one of them a young woman and 4th generation river pilot.

Anyway, cheers for a great site!

Best wishes and Happy Holidays,

K.V. Bunker

"Delta Queen Movement on the Verge of Historic Victory—Contact US House for Delta Queen Bill Set for Vote tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 27"

PUBLIC MESSAGE FROM DELTA CAUCUS
FOR CONGRESS, MEDIA, AND ALL CONCERNED CITIZENS
MONDAY, NOV. 26, 2018—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lee Powell, Director, Delta Caucus (202) 360-6347

Delta Queen supporters are on the verge of victory in our decade-long movement to allow the historic Delta Queen to once again travel America's rivers—the US House votes tomorrow on the Delta Queen (DQ) bill. Contact your US representatives and urge passage of the bill.

The Delta Caucus and other DQ supporters have been advocating for this legislation ever since the last required Congressional exemption lapsed in 2008—it has taken 10 years but we can now see victory near. DQ supporters need to continue doing our due diligence in backing the bill today and up until tomorrow's vote.

NOTE: The Delta Queen has an exemplary safety record, extensive upgrades will add new boilers, generators, rebuild the paddle wheel, complete a system of state-of-the-art safety requirements, create additional exit routes, and the Coast Guard has to give a rigorous safety inspection (as it does all publicly operated vessels) before the DQ can travel one inch off the dock. Allegations about a "terrible fire hazard" are simply bogus.

Opponents often make the false claim that the boat is entirely made of wood, but this is bogus: the boat consists of 75% steel and other non-combustible materials. The wooden portion is only about 25% and will be further reduced. The boat has a steel hull and state of the art safety systems.

As expected, the bill overwhelmingly passed the Senate by a vote of 94 to 6 on Nov. 14.

The bill also adds a requirement for replacing 10% of combustible materials each year, thus adding additional layers of safety to a boat that was operated safely for decades on America's rivers. Again, if the Coast Guard finds any safety issue, they will prohibit the boat from traveling until the issue is resolved, in the unlikely event that there is any issue after all the upgrades are in place.

The Delta Caucus asks our supporters to contact your US House representative and urge passage of S. 140, the Coast Guard Authorization Bill including language that will allow the Delta Queen to return to overnight cruise service, for a vote on Tuesday. The bill will require a 2/3rds vote for approval, but prospects for passage are strong.

The exemption is for the Safety of Life at Seas (our italics) Act of 1966, which as the name clearly states was intended to apply to ocean-going vessels, not a riverboat like the DQ which is never more than a few minutes from land.

The boat is a National Historic Landmark, and the bill has been endorsed by the International Seafarers Union, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the American Maritime Officers, and many other historical preservation organizations.

Allowing the DQ to resume its travels will preserve a national historic treasure, educate many travelers about the history of steamboating across America's heartland, promote appreciation of our region's natural resources with the first-hand exposure to the beauty of the region by travelers, create about 150 jobs, and generate tourist dollars in the ports where it stops.

Most importantly, passage will reward Cornel Martin and his team's exemplary efforts to go above and beyond the call of duty by adding so many layers of extra safety precaution on the boat.

This does not require any taxpayer funding, but merely legal permission for the boat to travel again.

We commend the many Members of Congress in both Houses who have championed this legislation, including Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Rep. R-Ohio, and the many other members of Congress (too numerous to list here) who support this bill.

The center of opposition to the bill is led by a competing steamboat company, American Cruise Lines that operates out of offices in Connectict and also owns a shipyard in Maryland. They have complained that if the DQ is allowed to travel again it will harm their business, although there has been a major resurgence of steamboating on the Mississippi and its tributaries in recent years and there is plenty of opportunity for a number of steamboats on our rivers.

American Cruise Lines' lobbyist has also made erroneous charges about the safety of the DQ, in spite of its excellent safety record over 80 years of being safely operated on America's rivers and the many new layers of safety requirements in the legislation, the program of renovations planned by Cornel Martin, and above all the fact that the Coast Guard has to inspect the boat before it travels and will prevent it from traveling if any safety defect is found, until the issue is resolved.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Please note that the Coast Guard inspectors' actions in approving the boat for travel over the decades was the true meaningful statement about the boat's safety, and their inspections in the future if the bill passes will be the definitive action on this subject.

It is certainly true that when bureaucrats in Washington, DC at the US Dept. of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard of any other agency for that matter who know little or nothing about the DQ are asked slanted questions such as "There is this entirely wooden, old boat that is a terrible fire hazard called the Delta Queen. Do you think it should be allowed to travel on America's waterways again?" Of course they will say "No." But they are not informed about the facts of the boat's safety record and the new upgrades, and again the only actors who matter are the Coast Guard inspectors on the rivers who do the actual inspections.

American Cruise Lines has several boats on the river now and one in the Pacific Northwest. Their lobbying firm is Blank Rome. Their CEO, Mr. Charles Robertson has spent well over a half million dollars over the last several years with the Blank Rome firm trying to defeat any effort to pass legislation to allow the Delta Queen to return to overnight cruise service.

Today we're one step closer to returning the legendary DELTA QUEEN back to America's rivers with the passage of the Coast Guard Reauthorization bill passed in the U.S. Senate today. Special thanks to the tireless efforts by Senators Blunt and McCaskill for making this happen!

Now the bill will go before the U.S. House of Representatives. If you want to see the DELTA QUEEN sail again please make sure your congressional representatives know you want them to vote YES on the Coast Guard Reauthorization bill!

#FullSteamAhead #SavetheDQ

P.S Ryde 2018 - ??
At present Island Harbour and our Director Lisa-Marie Turner are in current talks and preserving this historic Solent paddle steamer , we hope that we can update this with good news soon. watch this space :-)

Stripping off the "City of Moah's" cumbersome superstructure and converting her to a stern-wheeler steamboat, Lumsden renamed his boat the "Cliff Dweller" in 1906 and turned to the tourist trade. She proved no more successful, however, so she was taken to Great Salt Lake the following year.

Captain Don Sanders is a river man. He has been a riverboat captain with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company and with Rising Star Casino. He learned to fly an airplane before he learned to drive a "machine" and became a captain in the USAF. He is an adventurer, a historian and a storyteller. Now, he is a columnist for the NKyTribune and will share his stories of growing up in Covington and his stories of the river. Hang on for the ride—the river never looked so good.

I wasn't familiar with the scandal surrounding the TCHS orphan houses of the 30's and 40's, but after stumbling across the story, I was shocked and horrified that such a thing was possible in this country and not that long ago. I wanted to tell the stories that hadn't been told - those of the thousands of children who became caught in Georgia Tann's web. I did travel for research. Visits to Memphis were invaluable, as was spending time at Mud Island and along the river, learning about the life Rill and her siblings would have lived on the family's shantyboat before they're taken to the TCHS orphan house.