becky thatcher riverboat marietta ohio

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Becky had a rough life before, during, and after her stay in marietta.

About a year after I came to Marietta in the 1970s another newcomer arrived in town. Sadly, she is no longer with us. Becky Thatcher, or more properly, the sternwheeler Becky Thatcher, spent much of her hard life along the banks of the Muskingum River in Marietta.

She arrived in town in 1975 as part of a bicentennial project designed to bring entertainment and good food to the riverbank. The city made a lot of improvements to the area behind the armory so that people could board the boat for melodrama plays and to dine at the restaurant on the second deck of the boat. The boat had a dramatic life of its own before it arrived in Marietta.

Before moving to Marietta, Becky lived in St. Louis along the Mississippi. During a stormy Saturday night in June of 1969, tied to the riverbank by steel cables, the boat broke free when 60 mile-per-hour winds started moving the craft away from the west bank. Thirty people managed to get off the boat before it broke free, but the remaining 70 were in for a wild ride. Powerless and out of control, the boat began drifting downriver. The only illumination for the frightened guests came from the flashes of lightning striking nearby. It soon crashed into the Golden Arrow, a small packet boat moored downstream. Bouncing off the boat, Becky was now heading toward the middle of the river. It barely missed the Poplar Street Bridge before heading directly toward the McArthur Bridge. Guests, who did not have life jackets, were told to all sit on the deck on the east side of the boat in an effort to steer the boat around a pier. It worked, the boat, still tied to a barge and a replica of the Santa Maria cleared the bridge pier by inches. Two miles later Becky ran into a dock of the Monsanto Company after the Santa Maria hit the shore and began to sink. The guests were rescued by a boat that finally caught up with the drifting sternwheeler. I was there when the boat arrived in Marietta to great fanfare, unaware of her storied past, I just thought it was a neat addition to the riverbank. What did I know, I was just a stupid kid. I was also there when she left decades later for the final trip of its long life.

As a member of the Marietta High School Crew team in the 1970s, I saw The Becky often, passing her nearly daily during practice. The Muskingum with Becky at one end, and the W.P. Snyder at the other end was a great place to row. It amazed visiting crews that were not accustomed to passing huge vintage riverboats during practice. The photo on page 2 today shows The Becky at its normal spot behind the Armory.

Except for going up and down during flooding, Becky never moved from its riverside home. When it did, it got her into trouble. In 1984 she was moved from the east bank of the river to the west bank so dredging could happen in her normal spot. Soon the river dropped, tied tightly to the riverbank, the riverboat started leaning to one side. She came to rest on some rocks that were likely parts of the old Marietta dam. The rocks poked holes in her thin hull and she sank. Eventually water would cover the entire first deck and part of the second. I started at The Times full time in April of 1984. Becky sank a few weeks before. Photographing a half-sunk Becky Thatcher would occupy much of my first few months. There are only so many ways you can photograph a sunk sternwheeler though and we were all a bit relieved when two giant cranes pulled her free of the muddy bottom. I and a reporter visited her while she was in a riverboat ER in Point Pleasant. Safely resting in a dry dock, a worker showed us how thin the hull was by poking his finger through it. I asked him how long a new hull would last, for a stationary boat like Becky he said, about 30 years. She didn’t make it that long. She did though return to Marietta for a while, returning to its spot on the east bank of the Muskingum with a permanent bow to the decks caused by sitting on the rocks for months, the boat would spend two more decades here. I like many, enjoyed eating there from time to time and having a beer on the front deck at others. Falling into hard times, the craft changed hands a few times and was even listed on eBay for a while.

Evicted from the riverbank, Becky left Marietta for the last time when it departed for a new life in Pittsburgh in October of 2009. In February of 2010 following a heavy snowfall the boat took on water, listing to one side and sank for the final time. Part of the wood upper decks gave way and collapsed on itself; the Becky was a total loss.

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The Sad Story of Becky Thatcher Riverboat Steamer

I found some photos today that I thought had been lost and I had always been a little sad about it.  But sorting through an old PC, I was thrilled to find the photos that I had taken with an old Kodak while on holiday in America, back in 2004.  In those days I really only used a camcorder, the camera was back up, but I remember I had taken the camera with me to visit a very special boat the ‘Becky Thatcher’

We were staying with my brother in Marietta, Ohio and one night we went to visit one of his acquaintances through his work, on a Steamboat that was moored in the river.  I was so excited, ok it wasn’t going anywhere, but that didn’t matter, a real Riverboat Steamer.  The photos are not great, but they are a record of our visit and to me now, are my record of a little piece of history which is no more.  We visited her when she had just stopped being used as a theatre, and I managed to take one photo of the area which had been the theatre.  I only wish that I had taken more, but I am really lucky that I found these photos.  The following is the history and sad ending of the ‘Becky Thatcher’

The Becky Thatcher was originally built as Mississippi (III), an inspection boat of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, in 1926. Her steel hull and machinery were new but the cabins came from her predecessor, the Mississippi (II). Although she was primarily a workboat she was outfitted with comfortable accomodations for 65 passengers. Because of her Texas deck she resembles more a packet boat than a workboat.

On April 19, 1961, she was retired and in 1963 sold to Mark Twain Enterprises of St. Louis, MO. In 1964 she was towed to Hannibal, MO, to serve as a restaurant and museum. In 1965 she was purchased by St. Louis Investment Co. and towed back to St. Louis. She was renamed to Becky Thatcher and extensivley restorated between June 1968 and February 1969. The boilers were removed and in 1973 also the engines which were sold to the New Orleans Steamboat Company. The Becky Thatcher broke her mooring lines in 1969 during a storm and was swept downstream. With 100 people aboard she passed two bridges but did not suffer any severe damages. The restaurant closed in 1974.

In 1975 the boat was purchased by a group of intersted citizens of Marietta, OH. They planned to bring her to Marietta as part of the Bicentennial project. Those citizens formed a not-for-profit corporation, the Ohio Showboat Drama Inc.. In September 1975 the Becky Thatcher was towed to Marietta, OH. In 1976 the production “Showboat” was performed by the Mid-Ohio Valley Players on the decks and an adjacent barge with 3,000 people watching from the shore.

In August 1977 the Becky Thatcher opened as a showboat after remodeling her first deck into a theatre. One month later the second and third deck opened as restaurant aera. The Becky Thatcher was moored near the W. P. Snyder Jr. on the Muskingum river.

The Becky Thatcher was entered into the National register of Historic Places by the National Park Service in October 1983. In 1984 the boat sank during a spring flood with heavy damage to her hull and superstructure but she was raised and returned after repairs for the 1985 season.

After having been out of service for a few years the Becky Thatcher was sold and towed to a mooring on Neville Island in the Ohio River, Pittsburgh, Pa, in October 2009.

During severe weather conditions, the Becky sank during the weekend of February 20-21, 2010. Her decks collapsed and the venerable vessel declared a total loss, the firm of Delta Demolition was contracted to remove the wreckage from the river. Heartbreaking images were published in newspapers and on web sites showing a clamshell and scoop removing huge pieces of the superstructure and dumping them on shore. The Becky had finally come to the end of a long and illustrious career spanning nearly 85 years.

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22 Replies to “The Sad Story of Becky Thatcher Riverboat Steamer”

Sad story for such a lovely boat, thanks for the history. I think you put in an incorrect year somewhere. If she went down for the last time in 2010, you would have had trouble getting these pictures in 2014. 😉

It was 2004 🙂 I am having trouble with the internet at the moment and couldn’t change it quick enough, I think I have now. It was such a shame about the boat, but I glad I was able to visit 🙂

Tis sad but she had a busy lovely life. We have riverboats on the Savannah River, they are neat to ride and dine in. Enjoyable post!

Glad you enjoyed the post and I bet those riverboats on the Savannah River are beautiful 🙂

They are. 😊 if you google Savannah Ga, riverboats it shows a small photo of one

That’s sad, but I’m glad you found the photos to share with us. Thanks for putting them up here.

Glad you liked them, I’m just glad I got to visit 🙂

😦 That’s a sad story! But, it gives me hope. She basically has the lifespan of a human and lived a life of both triumph and defeat. 🙂

Yes she did, and three America Presidents sailed on her, I forgot to mention that 🙂 I just thought that I needed to do a post on her…..gone but not forgotten 🙂

Thanks for sharing the story and the photos. Brick

Thanks Brick, glad you found it of interest 🙂

Thanks so much for your story. I spent two summers aboard The Becky Thatcher, tripping across the boards of her stage, and blowing off steam in her bar with my castmates upstairs in her bar. So many wonderful memories aboard her! Very sad to hear she is no more. We often stood on the small deck outside the dressing room to watch other boats go by, including the Delta Queen. Or looked aft to see the Mississippi Queen moored downriver (too large to travel up where we were).

Thank you for your comment, it has been lovely to hear from someone who has actually played on the little stage. I got quite a thrill when we visited her and was so sad to hear that she had sunk, I only wished I had taken better photos at the time, but some are better than none and I am really pleased that I posted about her and it brought back happy memories for you 🙂

There is a part of the Becky Thatcher’s history no closely covered here that make her history a bit brighter, given her abrupt parting at her final mooring in Pittsburgh. In the summer of 1977, Ron Loreman and Kent Nelson, two professors at Marietta College, began producing and directing series of old showboat style melodramas, performed on the former engine deck of the Becky Thatcher. It has been carefully renovated into a theatre to seat about 200 people, with a small stage at one end. I had the privilege of standing behind the curtain on opening night. The show was ’10 Nights in a Barroom’ and I played the character of “Joe Morgan”, the drunkard. As it turned out, the sort of sappy, moralistic tone of the old melodramas lent itself to being able to derive humor while trying to perform them as authentically as possible (i.e. using the melodramatic acting style). Opening night the summer of 1977 was a full house, and patrons had paid $200 a seat as a benefit performance. The performances became quite a draw in Marietta for several years, with busloads of patrons coming in to attend. Becky had quite a few full houses during the age of the reborn “Showboat Becky Thatcher”. Students from all over the southeast US came to audition, for most, if not all, it was a first experience in a professionally run operation. That first year, I myself was paid $120 a week and a free room. Loreman and Nelson made it clear, from the beginning, that participation on the Becky was going be different than the usual fall and spring semester college theatre productions. And it was. In August, it was not ususual to be rehearsing one play in the morning, doing a dress rehearsal of a 2nd play in the afternoon, while putting on a performance of a 3rd play in the evening. There were 8 performances a week, in repertoire. And there were musical, dance acts, joke telling during intermissions between the 3 acts. We were expected to write about the experience at the end of the season, and I recall remaking how transforming, and remarkable, the first season was. I came back for a 2nd year and it felt like the showboat would have a long history in front of it. I suppose the cost of maintenance eventually made it impractical to keep her operating as as a performance restaurant venue. But when on board there really was nothing like her atmosphere. It’s not surprising she was registered as a historical place in the early 80’s. I wish that could have somehow remained in Marietta, as such, indefinitely. Your last b&w photo above, shows the spot where we sat, outside the tiny dressing room, in the evenings to cool off between acts.

Thank you so much for the added history of the Becky Thatcher, I was just so glad that I got to visit her and take a few photos 🙂

Sorry for my typos above…. ( Wordspace needs an “edit” button in the comments section.

When Becky ‘sank’ in 1984, it was a matter of her setting her hull down on a pile of debris left over from the removal of Lock and Dam Number 1 along that west wall. Becky was moved from the east bank after a barge sank between her and the river bank. In a short period of time, almost overnight, the river dropped. Becky holed herself and sat there over time while the river reached flood stage. When it became necessary to go with the third salvage company, I never thought she would be raised. When she ‘sank’ again in 2010, it wasn’t because of a winter storm or several inches of snow on her roof that lead to her demise. Some time during the night of February 20-21, while she sat in seclusion behind the abandoned shipyard at Neville Island, she was impacted by a barge or another boat that drove her into the concrete filled caissons ahead of her, crushing her hull and knocking her superstructure off center, healing her over to port and taking on water. It wouldn’t have taken long before she was on the bottom.

Thank you Mike for the new information, I was just happy that we had visited her when she was still afloat 🙂

In the late ’90’s, i stood at my easil across the Muskingham River in Marietta Ohio and painted the Becky Thatcher sternwheel steamboat which was across the bank. As i stood there for a few hours, a piece of board floated up to me and i pulled it from the waters. By the look of the wear on the 14″ board, it looked as though it had made many a mile on its voyage. After the board dried, i began a little oil study on the board as I continued painting on the panel at my easel. A few years later i mailed the painting to Musical genius and Riverboat pilot John Hartford. He called me not long befoer he died of non hodgekins lymphoma in 2001. Recently i contacted his daughter inquiring of the painting to which she lead me to the Archieves at Missouri State university. I still have the little riverboard with the Becky Thatcher on it hanging from fishing line and looks like it floats in the breeze. Thanks for your photos and other folks’ recollections.

Hi Kevin, Thank you so much for your recollections, which add to the story of Beckey Thatcher. I have always been so pleased that we visited her when we did and it’s lovely to hear other people stories about her. I hope other stories will follow. Thank you Lynne 🙂 I would love to see your painting of her.

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Historic riverboat, Becky Thatcher, sinks in Ohio River

Historic riverboat sinks in Ohio River The Becky Thatcher had a long and lustrous history. Built in 1926 in Jefferson, Ind., as The Mississippi (III) by the Army Corps of Engineers, the stern-wheeler originally was used for inspecting and surveying rivers. Despite being a workboat, it was outfitted with comfortable accommodations for 65 passengers.

The boat was retired in 1961 and in 1963 was sold to Mark Twain Enterprises, which set it up as a restaurant and museum in Hannibal, Mo. In the late 1960s, it was towed to St. Louis, where it was renamed the Becky Thatcher and extensively restored.

In the years that followed, the boat was used as a floating dinner theater and a bar and restaurant. In 1975, it was purchased by a group of citizens in Marietta as part of that town’s bicentennial celebration. Moored along Front Street on the Muskingum River, the first production performed aboard it by the Mid-Ohio Valley Players in 1976 was “Showboat.”

The National Park Service entered the boat into the National Register of Historic Places in October 1983.

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Sunken historic riverboat still mired in Ohio River

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Sternwheeler Becky Thatcher, Marietta Ohio, from Harmar.

It's been a restaurant for years. sunk back in the 80s.. was built as an army corps of engineers workboat back in 1918. i hear it's for sale now.   purchase price: $550,000           location: 237 front street, marietta, oh 45750   marietta is located in the junction of the ohio and muskingum rivers directly across the river from parkersburg, west virginia.       description: the becky thatcher, constructed in 1926, is a moored sternwheel riverboat measuring approximately 220 feet in lenth, 38 feet wide, 53 feet tall and consists of three decks, and in 1983 was entered into the national registry for historic places. the hull of the becky thatcher is constructed of steel, and the 3 story structure above, is constructed of wood. in 2004 a 160x 8 foot floating dock was constructed and attached to the hull, creating an opportunity for boaters to tie up to the becky thatcher. the dock is attached to the hull with hinged steel rods that allow the dock to easily adjust to changing river level, and to be easily detached for serviceability or moving, if required. there are tie ups for 50 water craft.   large hinged steel tie rods anchor the becky thatcher to the shore, and allow the ship to rise with the changing river level. the ship is connected to shore power, gas, and city sewer. to relocate the becky thatcher a towing vessel would be required, as all operating equipment has been removed. various antique steam equipment remains in the hull.       located on two decks of the becky thatcher is the fine dining restaurant and bar known as “1926”. the fine dining main room seats approximately 70 in a white table cloth, exquisitely decorated room of antiques, and large chandeliers. the large commercial kitchen is located directly adjacent to the dinning room and all restaurant food preparation is accomplished in this kitchen. a stairway leads from the kitchen to the upper dinning room (river room) and a stairway leads to the lower deck (theater deck) for walk in refrigeration and dry storage. on the river room deck, an additional prep kitchen is located which also contains a large dry storage room. this prep kitchen is currently not in use.       the entry lobby features honey colored hardwood floors with the becky thatcher emblem hand painted on the lobby floor. the lobby is tastefully decorated in a navy blue/ burgundy/ antique white and gold color scheme, and features a mahogany wood color stairway that leads to the upper deck. the gracious lobby separates the fine dining room from the 1926 bar.       the bar, tastefully decorated with a bit of a new orleans flair, seats approximately 70 inside, and 38 outside. whether inside or out, customers have unparallel views of the muskingum river. the bar features two flat screen tv’s, live entertainment twice weekly, and a unique new orleans private yacht feel that is truly unique to the area.       the top dining room known as the “river room” functions as a room for overflow dining, banquets and private parties. this beautifully decorated room with shades of green, lace curtains, and shaded wall sconces, is a favorite among locals with it bright light that streams through a bank of windows on both the water and shore sides of the room.       the 1926 restaurant will be closing on january 8, 2006       in late 2004 the becky thatcher went through an extensive renovation that included, significant wood replacement, new lighting throughout the interior/exterior, electrical wiring updating, plumbing, new hvac units as needed, complete interior/ exterior painting (except paddle wheel and interior of theater room), and full renovation of the two restaurant decks.       the lowest deck of the becky thatcher which once housed a dinner theater, is in need of remodeling, and has a very large stage, and theater lighting system. walk in refrigeration, and a large storage room are on this deck as well, and are utilized by the restaurant.       this large theater room is fire rated for 212 persons, and a designed seating plan with dance floor was created to accommodate 125 seats, with a night club use intended.       currently outside this lowest deck theater room on the bow of the ship, are four large picnic tables and umbrellas. although this area has direct access from the bar above, the bow area would be best utilized as an outside seating area for lower deck..   the dimensions of some of the rooms are: main dinning 42'10"x28'5" bar 30'9"x28'6" upstairs dinning 58'4"x12'10" upstairs front room 23'5"x13" downstairs stage area 76'x30' back stage 30'x26' the entry lobby is about 20x25, the outside bar area seats 38, their are 2 double stall restrooms in the lobby, the main kitchen, the upstairs prep kitchen, dry storage behind the prep kitchen, and another large room behind the stage that was a dressing/ makeup room for about 20. misc areas include a small bathroom in the upstairs dining room, stairways, and electric room.       insurance: a marine insurance policy on the becky thatcher is provided by essex insurance of virginia, and consists of both liability and physical damage coverage.           history: the becky thatcher was originally built as the mississippi iii, as an inspection boat for the army corps of engineers. in 1926 her steel hull and machinery were new, but the cabins came from her predecessor the mississippi ii. comfortable cabin space was available for 65 passengers.       the vessel was retired in 1961, was sold and towed to mo in 1964 to serve as a restaurant and museum. in 1965 she was sold, towed back to st. louis, and re-named the becky thatcher. she was renovated in 1968, the boilers removed in 1973, and the engines sold to the new orleans steamboat company. in 1975 the becky thatcher was purchased by a group of citizens in marietta oh, and was towed to marietta as part of a bicentennial project.       from 1976 until 2003 the becky thatcher operated as a restaurant and theater and managed by a non-profit organization.       in 1985 extensive repairs were made to the hull, with new ¼” steel overlay plating attached to the hull, and bottom painted with tar apoxy. in july 2004 a marine survey was performed for the current owner of the becky thatcher, and no hull damage was found at that time. the marine survey was conducted at time of purchase, and prior to any renovation of the becky thatcher that was completed in late 2004, and early 2005.           a residential conversion would also suit this vessel well.   please call me at any time at the number above regarding this unique opportunity.       thank you,       barry e. stern    .

Ohio River still holding on to boat's remains

NEVILLE TWP. - If things had gone to plan, the Becky Thatcher would be close to resuming her rightful spot as a floating piece of history on the banks of Pittsburgh's rivers.

But not long after she was towed from Marietta, Ohio - her home since 1975 - to a temporary mooring at Neville Island, the 83-year-old sternwheeler sank in the shallow water, it's snow-covered wooden decks buckling under the weight of February's snow.

And part of the vessel is still there.

All that's visible from the Glenfield side of the Ohio River is the paddlewheel, an ice-covered red-and-rusty metal frame. But that's still attached to the boat's steel hull, which is still mired on the river's muddy floor.

A Nashville businessman, Jeffrey Levin, bought the boat from a nonprofit group in Marietta five years ago; Levin brought it to Pittsburgh in 2009, with designs on restoring it and setting it up as a floating restaurant somewhere along the riverbanks.

"We had high hopes for her," Levin, who could not be reached for comment last week, told The Times last March. "We thought she would have done very well here."

But when it sunk in February, Levin had to move quickly to get the sunken ship out of the water; the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers worried that debris from the sternwheeler's decks would break free and damage other river vessels or foul the locks and dams downstream.

A HULL OF A TIME

Levin hired Delta Demolition, a Newton Falls, Ohio-based marine demolition contractor to raise the ship, and much of that work went smoothly; Lee Chaklos, Delta's owner, said the most of that job went as anticipated, although his workers did have to spend time chasing some debris.

But the progress stopped when it came to the hull, Chaklos said. Weather was a factor - a quick thaw made working on the river too dangerous for a time. But the hull was bogged down in the mud alongside Neville Island, and Delta didn't have the equipment on hand to make it budge.

"The big thing was that we were past the point where it was a danger to river traffic," Chaklos said of the structure, which is also cabled to nearby pilings and the shore. "It's well out of the channel, and the Coast Guard doesn't have concerns about the hull going anywhere."

At different points in the months since, divers have tried to determine what it could take to raise the hull, but Chaklos said they were unable to find anything definitive. Perhaps by the end of the month Chaklos will bring experienced river divers to the site to see what needs to be done to raise the hull.

"Some barges are sealed and some aren't, and we don't know what the case is with this one," Chaklos said. "And if it's not, we'll have to determine how much silt has collected inside."

Water and silt could be pumped from the inside of the hull, or it could be forced out with high-pressure water streams; Chaklos said the proper course of action would be determined by what the divers find.

"Once we have the information and know what we need to do, it won't be a tough job," he said. "When we get it emptied, it'll come right up."

What happens then? The hull could be scrapped, and Chaklos said scrap prices are making it seem that could be a good option. But if the hull is in decent shape, Chaklos said he might be willing to buy it from Levin and repurpose it as a working barge.

And once it's raised, the final question - what caused the Becky Thatcher to sink - may be answered.

Or, as Chaklos said, maybe not.

"We'll get a look at any damage to the hull, but that may not give us many answers," he said. "We won't know until we get a look, and we may not know even then."

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Towboats move Showboat Becky Thatcher up Ohio River (PHOTOS)

By Professional Mariner Staff

Early Marietta

Marietta, Ohio was settled in 1788 in the newly established Northwest Territory. It was the first city under American civil government outside the original 13 states. This blog tells stories about life in Marietta and the surrounding area over the years.

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Wednesday, august 17, 2022.

Becky Thatcher and the Dreamers

• The weather and periodic river flooding were risks. Flooding could close the boats for weeks at a time. Once the BECKY THATCHER broke loose during a storm. She floated down river and damaged a pipeline owned by Monsanto. 
• Pierson lost his first showboat to fire. Another riverboat, the original BECKY THATCHER, sank; he bought the former MISSISSIPPI III as a replacement. 
• Finances were always an issue.  Many expenses were fixed and continued even when revenues slowed. Borrowed money had to be repaid.
• The St. Louis waterfront was itself a challenge. It was hard for visitors to get to. Plans to upgrade the oft-neglected area came and went. A freight train ran through the waterfront entertainment area, often blocking traffic. A couple of times, “when the moon and Pierson were both full,” 2  Frank Pierson attempted a citizens’ arrest of the stopped train’s engineer. It didn’t work; he was the one arrested when police showed up.
• Media sometimes mocked or questioned his “Quixotic” ventures. 

• Harry Robinson, Jr.  was a CPA and businessman who had recently acquired the Hotel Lafayette. He saw the tourism potential of the BECKY THATCHER and put up his own money to make it happen. His hotel leased space for a restaurant on the BECKY. The Chillicothe Gazette on 12/27/78 reported that Robinson was gratified by the public response after the first full season. He noted “…there is something here that has captured the imagination of people.” He said that although the restaurant lost “substantial” money during it’s first year, it’s the boat’s contribution to the community that is important. “I feel good even though I lost money.” Harry Robinson’s  businesses supported the BECKY THATCHER for many years. 
• Marietta College , and late drama professors  Ron Loreman  and  Kent Nelson  managed the theater, staging up to 4 melodrama shows each year. The latter two dedicated much time and effort for 15 years to the showboat theater - in addition to their College responsibilities. They persevered through balky facilities on the boat, limited budgets, and occasional crises (the boat sank in 1984) but were rewarded by seeing hundreds of young cast and crew members flourish 3 .   Marietta College  provided dorm space for cast and crew and back-up facilities for the theater. 
• Cast, Crew, and Staff  members. Wow! These were the real dreamers. They were young, adventurous types, willing to endure hard work but with fun times in a small midwestern town. Seeing photos on the “Showboat Becky Thatcher Alumni” Facebook page brings back many memories for your author. I especially remember Bob Stanley, the dedicated maintenance person. The BECKY was his special ward
• Janet Herman Barlow  was the Showboat Theater Executive Director in from 1981-86. She recalled the Herculean efforts to continue, and then restart, the theater after the BECKY sank in early 1984. The theater season that year was on dry land at Marietta College; they called it the “Dry Dock” season. As a fund raiser, they sold glass containers provided by Fenton Art Glass filled with mud from the sunken boat. Janet kept the mud “inventory” at her home; she remarked that few theater directors have that on their resume’. The sinking gave the BECKY THATCHER unexpected publicity and restoring her became a cause celebre’. Lots of mud was sold. Janet said that then Ohio Governor Richard Celeste took a personal interest in the BECKY’s restoration after the sinking. He swooped into Marietta by helicopter. That was a thrilling experience for her. She said that his visit gave all involved a real morale boost. It gave recognition to everyone’s hard work and offered hope that the restoration could actually happen. The dreamers made it happen: the raising, financing, and restoration of the BECKY THATCHER were accomplished.
• Other dreamers included  Ohio Showboat Drama Inc. Board members ,  local bankers  who pushed through and later forgave loans ,  many  donors,  and  legislators  who helped obtain grant money. 

2 comments:

Dave, I bet you hated to see the Becky Thatcher move to Pittsburg, but I’m sure you got to spend many fun hours on it during its stay in Marietta. Nice article filled with interesting information. CW

Wonderful articles! Thank you so much!

Links to other local history sites

• Belpre OH Historical Society
• Campus Martius Museum
• Henderson Hall (WV)
• Washington County Historical Society
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The Showboat Becky Thatcher Theatre

Image © The Showboat Becky Thatcher Theatre

In 1998, Andrew was appointed Artistic Director of the Historic Showboat Becky Thatcher Theatre in Marietta, Ohio. The Becky Thatcher was permanently moored on the banks of the Muskingum River and was founded in 1976, as part of Marietta's bicentennial celebrations. Andrew directed over a dozen productions and also managed a company of professional actors, technicians and volunteers.

Specializing in 19th century American melodrama, The Showboat was an important tourist attraction for the historic river town and neighboring communities. Andrew built relationships with other historic river boats that would temporarily dock in Marietta, and the Becky Thatcher company members would go aboard the Mississippi Queen and other vessels to perform.

Andrew served as Artistic Director for three seasons before leaving for Chicago to pursue his MFA. Favorite productions at the Showboat include Barry Manilow's musical, The Drunkard and The Fantasticks .

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Paddle-Wheel Steamboats

This steamboats galleries are representing most of today’s still existing paddle-wheel steamboats in the US and Canada. Most of them are not active steamboats anymore but land-based, museum boats or converted to diesel. Some steamers are still active, though.

In this list you’ll find information about each of the boats, historic details, picture galleries, calliope music, steam whistle recordings and some videos.

Delta Queen

The legendary Delta Queen is the last remaining historical steamboat capable for overnight cruises, though it is unclear whether she’ll ever be able to sail as a cruise ship again. The Delta Queen and her identical twin the Delta King…

Belle of Louisville

Louisville, KY The Belle of Louisville was originally built as Idlewild in 1914 by James Rees & Sons of Pittsburgh, PA, for the Memphis Packet Co. She left Pittsburgh for Memphis, TN, on January 9, 1915. In February 1928, she…

Str. Natchez

New Orleans, LA The Natchez is a beautiful sternwheeler cruising in the harbor of New Orleans. Since 1975 she is the place to have dance, music and dinner while steamin’ around for a couple of hours. She was built in…

Mississippi Queen

The Mississippi Queen was built by Jeffboat Inc. in Jeffersonville, Indiana, from 1973 to 1975. Her owner, the Delta Queen Steamboat Company, says, she is “the fulfillment of Mark Twain’s dreams”. The Mississippi Queen was launched on November 30, 1974.…

American Queen

Mississippi River The American Queen is the third “Queen” from the former Delta Queen Steamboat Company and is probably the largest steamboat ever built. She was built in 1994 by McDermott Shipyard and launched in 1995 at an approximate cost…

Julia Belle Swain

La Crosse, WI The Julia Belle Swain was designed by Capt. Dennis Trone. She was built in 1971 being the last boat of Dubuque Boat & Boiler Works, Dubuque, IA. The boat is powered by an engine from 1915, manufactured…

Becky Thatcher

(formerly Marietta, OH) The Becky Thatcher was originally built as Mississippi (III), an inspection boat of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, in 1926. Her steel hull and machinery were new but the cabins came from her predecessor, the…

W. P. Snyder jr.

Marietta, OH The W. P. Snyder Jr. was originally built as the Carnegie Steel Co. towboat W. H. Clingerman in 1918 by Rees of Pittburgh, PA. In 1938, she was renamed J. L. Perry and in 1945 A-1. In August…

Boone No. 7, Anderson Ferry

Cincinnati, OH The BOONE NO. 7 (#0678) was built in 1935 (or 1937, according to Way’s Packet Directory) and is in operation since then. Originally steam powered and converted to diesel in 1947 she is not in daily operation today…

S.S. Tutshi

Carcross, Yukon Territory, Canada The sternwheel steamboat S.S. Tutshi, or actually her remainings, are located right next to the railroad station of the village Carcross, YT. Built in 1917, taken out of service in 1955 and restored by the Yukon…

S.S. Klondike

Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada The S.S. Klondike is one of the very few remaining paddlewheel steamboats on the Yukon River. In the times of the great gold rush on the Klondike near Dawson, the Whitehorse – Dawson route for vital…

City of Clinton

Clinton, IA The City of Clinton is serving as a museum and showboat in Clinton, IA. The City of Clinton was built in 1936 at the Dravo Shipyards in Neville Island, PA, for the Ohio River Company of Huntington and…

City of Baton Rouge

Le Claire, IA The City of Baton Rouge was built in 1916 at the Howard Ship Yards in Jeffersonville, IN. The boat was operated by the Baton Rouge Transportation Company and served as a ferry boat at the Mississippi. Like…

Dubuque, IA The sternwheeler towboat Logsdon is part of the Mississippi River Museum at Dubuque, Iowa. She is placed at the formerly Dubuque Boat and Boiler Works close to the ice harbor and only some yards away from the William…

(formerly St. Louis, MO) The Admiral was built at St. Louis by Streckfus Steamers Inc. in 1938 – 1940 as a sidewheel excursion boat. Her hull came from the former railroad transfer Albatross built in 1907. She is 374 feet…

George M. Verity

Keokuk, IA The sternwheeler George M. Verity was built as the towboat S. S. Thorpe in 1927 by the Dubuque Boat & Boiler Works, Dubuque, IA, for the Upper Mississippi Barge Line. Her pilothouse originally was placed forward at the…

Str. President

The hull of the sidewheeler President was originally built in 1924 for the steamer Cincinnati by the Midland Barge Co., Midland, PA. In 1933 the Cincinnati was sold to Streckfus Steamers Inc. of St. Louis, MO. The boat received a…

William M. Black

Dubuque, IA The William M. Black is one of four almost identical sisters. The others are William S. Mitchell (operated until 1986, now used as the U.S.S. Nightmare at Cincinnati, OH), Captain William Clark and Captain Meriwether Lewis (operated until…

Le Claire, IA The Lone Star was the last operating sternwheel towboat on the Mississippi. Her wooden hull was built in 1890, the today’s superstructure was added in 1922 in Rock Island, IL. She made a good job for the…

Showboat Goldenrod

The Goldenrod was built in 1909 by Pope Dock Company for W. R. Markle. She was originally named Markle’s New Showboat but soon renamed Goldenrod. The Goldenrod claimed to be the last showboat built for the Mississippi River and the…

Mamie S. Barrett

The Mamie S. Barrett was built as towboat in 1921 by the Howard Shipyard of Jeffersonville, IN, for the Barrett Line (Oscar F. Barrett) of Cincinnati. She was 146 feet long and 30 feet wide. She was sold to the…

Sacramento, CA The Delta King and her identical twin the Delta Queen – called the million dollar boats – were fabricated from 1924 to 1927 on the River Clyde at the Isherwood Yard in Glasgow, Scotland, (other sources claim William…

Maneuverboat 35

Hannibal, OH The MANEUVERBOAT 35 is a typical work boat from the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain wicked dams. MANEUVERBOAT 35 today is part of a beautiful exhibit about these almost extinct construction type of locks and dams -…

Showboat Majestic

Portsmouth, OH The MAJESTIC has been the last active historic showboat on the rivers until 2019 when the City of Cincinnati sold her. In mid-February 2021 the MAJESTIC has been towed to New Richmond, OH, where it might stay for…

Chris Greene

Melbourne, KY The remainings of the Chris Greene can be found in a backyard along the Ohio River at Melbourne, KY, just a couple of miles outside of Cincinnati. The boat was built in 1925 for the Greene Line. Despite…

Lamb, IN The Barbara H was originally named Standard and built by Marietta Manufactoring, Point Pleasant, WV, for Standard Oil, OH, in 1923. She’s a sternwheel diesel towboat. She’s 99´-2´´ long and 19´-8´´ wide. In her early years she pushed…

Str. Portland

Portland, OR The Str. PORTLAND was built at Portland, Oregon, in 1947 as sternwheel towboat, steel hull, but wooden upper decks. Decommissioned in 1981, the Oregon Maritime Museum is using her since 1989 as a swimming museum, while she is still working and is…

Minne-Ha-Ha

Lake George, NY The Minne-Ha-Ha has been built in 1969 on Lake George, New York. She’s powered by a real steam engine and is fitted with a fully functional steam calliope and several beautiful steam whistles. While she has been…

Ticonderoga

Shelburne, VT Today, the steamboat Ticonderoga sits high and dry on land at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. The side-paddle-wheel passenger steamboat has a vertical beam engine and is one of the once many boats that provided freight and passenger…

Gordon C. Greene

St. Louis, MO  The GORDON C. GREENE, built as the CAPE GIRARDEAU and being renamed several times in her life ended up in St. Louis, MO, as RIVER QUEEN. She sank there on 1967. When the river stage is very low,…

Covington, KY The former towboat JOHN W. HUBBARD today is serving as a nice restaurant at Covington, KY, right on the Ohio River riverfront, renamed MIKE FINK. The JOHN W. HUBBARD aka MIKE FINK is designated an historic vessel and…

Vicksburg, MS The SPRAGUE was the largest steam sternwheel towboat ever built for inland river service. The boat was launched in 1901 and went into service in 1902. She operated until March 5, 1948, when she was decommissioned at Memphis…

Chautauqua Belle

Mayville, NY The steamer Chautauqua Belle is an authentic Mississippi River-style sternwheel steamboat owned and operated by U.S. Steam Lines Ltd, operating on Chautauqua Lake in Western New York. She is one of only five operating authentic passenger sternwheel steamboats…

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