December 22, 2020 By
Merry Christmas! As previously presented in the Old Boat Column, one of the most famous excursion boat companies was Streckfus Steamers, widely known on the river system for its fleet of beautiful gingerbread-bedecked sidewheelers and sternwheelers. The company had its main offices in St. Louis and New Orleans.
An early boat of the line (originally known as Acme Packet Company under the leadership of Capt. John Streckfus and D.W. Wisherd) was the J.S., named for Capt. Streckfus. A beautiful sternwheeler, the vessel was built in 1901 by the Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind., with a graceful wood hull 175 feet in length by 33 feet in width. It came out new as a morning packet, running on the Upper Mississippi River in the Clinton–Davenport trade in conjunction with the City of Winona and also operating moonlight excursions at Rock Island. It was soon decided that it was “heavy,” drawing