"The Belle"

   100 years Young

 

One of the great things about commuting by bike is you get a chance to see things you overlook or take for granted while driving.  Like a lot of you I live in a city (Louisville, KY.) which has so much to offer if you just slow down and look.  

It is the start of my favorite season for bike commuting.  Not because of the warn weather, not because the days are getting longer, not because I am joined by other bike commuters who are coming out of hibernation; but because my bike route to and from work takes me along a beautiful longer route next to the Ohio River right beside an lady who I have had a relationship with for over 50 years. The Belle of Louisville!!

In this age of smart phones, GPS, satellite dishes, instant this, and hurry up that, the Belle of Louisville takes you back to the days when things were lived at a slower pace.   The days of Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglas.  I’d like to share with you my experiences with this grand old lady.

This steam boat was launched in 1914 from Pittsburgh, PA, and was put into service as the “ Idlewild” , ferrying passengers between Memphis, TN. and West Memphis, AR. During the 1930’s she spent some time traveling from Montana To Pennsylvania and from Canada to the Gulf Of Mexico before coming to Louisville through World War II.  After the war she spent some time in Cincinnati as the “Avalon”.  In 1962 then Jefferson, County of  Kentucky Judge Executive Marlow Cook purchased the steamboat and thus became “The Belle of Louisville”.

I was a teenager when County Judge Cook made that purchase and if memory serves me right, he did not win much praise for the purchase.  Many thought; what is the county going to do with this steamboat.   I have made many trips up and down the Ohio River along Louisville, KY on this famed paddle wheeler.

 I made my first trip on the Belle in 1965 or 1966 on a junior high school field trip.  It was truly an exciting experience.  Once I moved into high school my trips aboard the Belle became more frequent.  There were weekend date cruises and after prom dances which were held aboard this majestic paddle wheeler.

After graduating from high school, I began a long career in radio and television broadcasting.  As a news director of a local radio station I had the privilege of covering the “The Great Steamboat Race” aboard the Belle in 1972.  That year the Belle won the race against its longtime rival “The Delta Queen”.  This is an annual race which is part of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s long list of events leading up the Kentucky Derby.

1972

The Great Steam Boat Race was first held in 1963.  Beside the Delta Queen; the Belle of Louisville has defended the Golden antlers against The Spirit of Jefferson, Julia Belle Swain, The Natchez IX, The Belle of Cincinnati and the American Queen.

The Belle of Cincinnati

 The American Queen

In addition to my steamboat race experience, all five of my children at one time or another in their life has made trips about the Belle.  We’ve packed meals and made day and night cruises.  I have had the pleasure of being the Master of Ceremonies of countless music events aboard the Belle during my broadcast career.  And there have been a few times where I have just gotten a book and sailed up the river on a quiet afternoon journey. 

Also, I have been around for a few bad experiences of the Belle of Louisville.  One of those was during the 1984 Great Steamboat Race. There was a bomb threat made against the Belle.  613 passengers were evacuated to shore about 3 miles upstream from the start to search the vessel.  No bomb was found           

That same year on a cruise my eight year old daughter came running to me shouting a man had fallen overboard.  With so many adults on board, I could not believe my little girl.  As she pulled me to the stern to show me; no one else made any concern of a man overboard.  However, as she pointed; there in the middle of the Ohio River was a man floating in the water.  As I notified a crew member, the boat came to an abrupt halt as passengers wondered what had happened.  What happened as my eight year old daughter described to the captain; a crew member had been walking near the paddle wheel and slipped and was hit by the paddle wheel and thrown in the river.  The crew member was rescued by private boaters and suffered a broken arm.  My little girl was hailed a hero. 

The next more sinister bad experience was the sinking of the boat.  On the morning of August 24, 1997, a night watchman found the Belle was slowly sinking into the Ohio River at her downtown Louisville wharf.  A former employee was charged and convicted of sinking the Belle.  It took more than seven months to raise and restore her.

And for those cynics who thought County Judge Executive Cook's decision to purchase the Belle was  insane.  Well, here we are in 2014, where  the city of Louisville, historians and steamboat industry will come together in October for a gala celebration to honor the Belle’s 100^thYear.  I guess County Judge Cook's decision is now historical.

  

Celebrate America’s rich Southern heritage with a cruise on the mighty Ohio River during Louisville, Kentucky's Centennial Festival of Riverboats, October 14^th – 19^th, 2014.  Six historic riverboats will provide the backdrop as Louisville plays host to a six-day festival of food, bourbon, music and art at the internationally-acclaimed Waterfront Park. Enjoy live music, sample the finest spirits in the world and experience history, first-hand, as we celebrate The Belle’s Big Birthday Bash and enjoy all that life on the river has to offer. The riverboats schedule to appear:  The American Queen, The Spirit of Jefferson, The Belle of Cincinnati, The Spirit f Peoria, and The River Queen.   There will be boats races and several types of cruises aboard each of these ships over the course of this celebration.  For more information about this festival visit the following website: http://festivalofriverboats.com/

 Ride your bike today and see what you have missed in your city

.