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President (steamboat)
Encyclopedia
President was a steamboat that currently lies dismantled in St. Elmo, Illinois
. Originally named Cincinnati, it was built in 1924, and is the only remaining "Western Rivers" style sidewheel river excursion steamboat in the United States. She was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1989, though these designations were revoked in 2011. Her home port
s have been Cincinnati, Ohio
, New Orleans, Louisiana
, Vicksburg, Mississippi
, St. Louis, Missouri
and Davenport, Iowa
.
. Her first trip was to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
.
In 1929, she was acquired by the Streckfus Company which briefly continued her use as a packet boat, but then laid her up until 1932. Streckfus moved her to her new homeport of St. Louis, Missouri and over the next two years, the ship was converted to become the largest excursion boat in America. The entire superstructure was rebuilt in steel, and a two-deck-high ballroom was added, as well as a bandstand. It was also at this time that she received her new name, President.
Newly converted and newly named, she opened for business in 1934 and Streckfus advertised her as "the New 5 Deck Luxury Super Steamer, Biggest and Finest On The Upper Mississippi". She continued tramping (having no fixed schedule or published ports of call)http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tramp#Noun until 1941. In 1940, she was displaced from her position as flagship of the Streckfus line by the S.S. Admiral
.
In 1941, she switched her home port to New Orleans. Because fuel oil was restricted and many of the young crewmen had joined the armed forces, tramping was discontinued, and the cruises stayed close to home. When World War II
ended, she remained in New Orleans as a popular nightspot, featuring concerts by national acts such as U2
, Cyndi Lauper
, Men at Work
, and The Producers
, and New Orleans performers like Dr. John
, The Neville Brothers
, and The Cold
.
Because the wind made maneuvering the big boat difficult, she had her two side wheels removed and replaced by 1000 hp diesel engines in 1978.
She was sold in 1985 and returned to St. Louis as her homeport. While there, she was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark on Dec. 20, 1989.
On July 27, 2011 the Department of the Interior issued a press release that included the following line; "Finally, President, a steamboat in St. Elmo, Illinois, had its designation as a National Historic Landmark withdrawn because of a loss of historic integrity." The ship was also removed from the National Register entirely.
. In 1991, Iowa legalized riverboat gambling and the President opened in Davenport, Iowa with 27000 square feet (2,508.4 m²) of gaming space. She was the second riverboat casino in the United States in modern times (opening 30 minutes after the first riverboat casino the M/V Diamond Lady opened in Bettendorf, Iowa
which was owned by Bernie Goldstein).
in Mississippi
. At that time, she was for sale by Isle of Capri Casinos
. She was also located for a time at Treasure Island in Lake McKellar at Memphis, Tennessee
.
In January 2009 President was located in Alton, Illinois
, where she was first listed by the National Park Service November 2007. She was then disassembled and moved in pieces to St. Elmo, Illinois
, near Effingham. Although local businesspeople hope to re-assemble her as a non-floating tourist attraction and hotel, financing has yet to be secured while the vessel rusts as a heap of scrap metal.
St. Elmo, Illinois
St. Elmo is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,456 at the 2000 census.-Geography:St. Elmo is located at ....
. Originally named Cincinnati, it was built in 1924, and is the only remaining "Western Rivers" style sidewheel river excursion steamboat in the United States. She was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1989, though these designations were revoked in 2011. Her home port
Home port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
s have been Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
, St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
.
History
Built in 1924 and then known as Cincinnati, she was originally an overnight packet boat that carried passengers and freight from Cincinnati, Ohio to Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Her first trip was to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
.
In 1929, she was acquired by the Streckfus Company which briefly continued her use as a packet boat, but then laid her up until 1932. Streckfus moved her to her new homeport of St. Louis, Missouri and over the next two years, the ship was converted to become the largest excursion boat in America. The entire superstructure was rebuilt in steel, and a two-deck-high ballroom was added, as well as a bandstand. It was also at this time that she received her new name, President.
Newly converted and newly named, she opened for business in 1934 and Streckfus advertised her as "the New 5 Deck Luxury Super Steamer, Biggest and Finest On The Upper Mississippi". She continued tramping (having no fixed schedule or published ports of call)http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tramp#Noun until 1941. In 1940, she was displaced from her position as flagship of the Streckfus line by the S.S. Admiral
S.S. Admiral
SS Admiral was an excursion steamboat operating on the Mississippi River from the Port of St. Louis, Missouri. The vessel had a 1930s streamlined, Art Deco style, similar to the MV Kalakala and in contrast to the "gingerbread" ornamentation of more traditional Mississippi passenger and pleasure...
.
In 1941, she switched her home port to New Orleans. Because fuel oil was restricted and many of the young crewmen had joined the armed forces, tramping was discontinued, and the cruises stayed close to home. When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended, she remained in New Orleans as a popular nightspot, featuring concerts by national acts such as U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Men at Work
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States . They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom...
, and The Producers
The Producers (band)
The Producers is a new wave and power pop band from Atlanta, Georgia in the 1980s. The original line up included Van Temple on guitar and vocals, former Whiteface member Kyle Henderson on bass and vocals, former Billy Joe Royal sideman "Wayne Famous" on keyboards, and Bryan Holmes on...
, and New Orleans performers like Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
, The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art , Charles , Aaron , and Cyril The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in...
, and The Cold
The Cold (rock band)
The Cold were a "New Wave" band that formed in New Orleans in 1979. The band were hugely popular in their home city and throughout the southeastern U.S. during their existence, but did not find national success. The members of The Cold were Barbara Menendez , Vance DeGeneres , Chris Luckette ,...
.
Because the wind made maneuvering the big boat difficult, she had her two side wheels removed and replaced by 1000 hp diesel engines in 1978.
She was sold in 1985 and returned to St. Louis as her homeport. While there, she was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark on Dec. 20, 1989.
On July 27, 2011 the Department of the Interior issued a press release that included the following line; "Finally, President, a steamboat in St. Elmo, Illinois, had its designation as a National Historic Landmark withdrawn because of a loss of historic integrity." The ship was also removed from the National Register entirely.
Casino
In 1990, President sailed her last dinner and dancing cruise before undergoing a ten million dollar renovation and conversion into a floating casino. She was purchased by what is now known as Isle of Capri CasinosIsle of Capri Casinos
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. is a gaming company headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri which operates casinos and associated entertainment and lodging facilities in the United States and abroad....
. In 1991, Iowa legalized riverboat gambling and the President opened in Davenport, Iowa with 27000 square feet (2,508.4 m²) of gaming space. She was the second riverboat casino in the United States in modern times (opening 30 minutes after the first riverboat casino the M/V Diamond Lady opened in Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the "Quad Cities". As of the 2010 United States Census the population grew to 33,217. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with...
which was owned by Bernie Goldstein).
Current status
President retired from service in 1999 and was reported, in 2004, to be located on the Yazoo RiverYazoo River
The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Mississippi.The Yazoo River was named by French explorer La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth. The exact meaning of the term is unclear...
in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. At that time, she was for sale by Isle of Capri Casinos
Isle of Capri Casinos
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. is a gaming company headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri which operates casinos and associated entertainment and lodging facilities in the United States and abroad....
. She was also located for a time at Treasure Island in Lake McKellar at Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
In January 2009 President was located in Alton, Illinois
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
, where she was first listed by the National Park Service November 2007. She was then disassembled and moved in pieces to St. Elmo, Illinois
St. Elmo, Illinois
St. Elmo is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,456 at the 2000 census.-Geography:St. Elmo is located at ....
, near Effingham. Although local businesspeople hope to re-assemble her as a non-floating tourist attraction and hotel, financing has yet to be secured while the vessel rusts as a heap of scrap metal.