William J. Abate submitted this article.
Steamboats made and used in Illinois are the topic of discussion at the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society’s next meeting, Sunday, March 13, 2016. It will begin at 2:00 p.m., in CGH’s Ryberg Auditorium, located at 100 E. LeFevre, Sterling, IL.
Our program will be presented by Robert Swenson, a retired professor in architecture at SIU Carbondale, IL, and Metropolis, IL, native. Swenson has conducted extensive research about steamboats constructed in his hometown during the nineteenth century. He will discuss the 67 boats built at Metropolis beginning in the 1850’s and the people involved: designers, engineers, builders, carpenters, craftspeople, owners, captains, pilots, and “roustabouts.”
His story includes
- boats that played significant roles during the Civil War
- boats built for the Missouri River trade during the Gold Rush
- railroad ferries
- logging boats
- he 327-foot cotton boat “Mary Belle,” one of the largest to ply the lower Ohio and Mississippi rivers in the 1870’s.
Everyone is invited to enjoy this program. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served.