The William M. Black is a steam-propelled, sidewheel dustpan dredge.

It was 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 1992. It is open for tours as part of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

-External links:...

. According to information provided on the tour, the Black, one of the last paddle steamer

Paddle steamer

A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...

s built in the U.S., was used primarily along the Missouri River

Missouri River

The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

. It had a crew of 49 and dredged 80,000 cubic yards of material per day. It was decommissioned in 1973 because it consumed 7,000 gallons of heavy oil each day, which became prohibitively expensive during the 1973 OPEC oil embargo

1973 oil crisis

The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...

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