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In her heyday, the S.S. President riverboat was a
venue of choice for entertainment giants such as
Louis Armstrong.
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Courtesy of Isle of Capri Casinos Inc
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Hey Blake,
Could you please tell me where the riverboat President that was docked on the
Spanish Wharf ended up?
Mike M.
Dear Mike,
Would you believe that the President was retired from service in 1999 and is
now on the Yazoo River in Mississippi? The Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. is offering
it for sale, and for a mere $500,000 it can be yours!
May 24, 1988, was a sad day when the S.S.
President, a favorite for Jazz Fest concerts, left New Orleans for good and
headed for St. Louis, Mo. The boat had spent the summer in St. Louis since 1985,
but in New Orleans the bookings could no longer keep up with the cost of operation.
The boat was given an expensive facelift in its new home and, for a while, it
proved to be a popular attraction.
Then, in October 1990, the President went
on its last dinner-and-dancing cruise before workers started renovating the
old riverboat and converting it -- after a $10 million facelift -- to a very
large floating casino. The following year, Iowa legalized riverboat gambling
and the "new" boat with 27,000 square feet of gaming space, 680 slot machines,
and 32 gaming tables was on its way to Davenport.
Originally named the Cincinatti, it was acquired
by the Streckfus Company in 1929. Built in 1924, it was an overnight packet
boat that carried passengers and freight from Cincinnati to Louisville: her
first trip was to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
When Streckfus Steamers bought the boat, it
was operated briefly as a packet ship, but was then laid up until 1932. The
new owners moved her base of operations to St. Louis, and for the next year
the packet ship was converted to become the largest excursion boat in America,
getting a new name along with her new purpose. The entire superstructure was
rebuilt of steel, and a two-deck-high ballroom was added, as well as a bandstand.
When it appeared in 1934, it was originally
based in St. Louis. Streckfus Steamers advertised her as "the New 5 Deck Luxury
Super Steamer, Biggest and Finest On The Upper Mississippi." Nearly a football
field long, the President was proclaimed in other advertisements to be "The
Wonder Ship of the Mississippi -- where life is gay, vivacious -- alive with
exciting thrills ... with dancing and romancing ... the ultimate in excursion
pleasure."
Riverboats such as the President carried new
musical styles and entertainers throughout the Midwest. First minstrel shows
and then Dixieland and jazz were introduced to huge areas of the country by
packet boat bands. Louis Armstrong played on other Streckfus steamers with Fate
Marable's band between 1918 and 1922 and later performed on the President during
the height of his career.
Because the riverboats such as the President
held as many patrons as most clubs, music halls, and ballrooms ashore, many
big bands played floating concerts. Alvin Alcorn and Danny Barker played aboard
the President at various times.
The President went tramping for most of the
year. During the warm weather of spring and summer, the vessel moved north as
far as St. Paul and then gradually worked her way back south. She went on daytime
and moonlight excursions in St. Louis and then moved down to New Orleans to
spend the fall and winter. Finally in 1941, the boat switched her homeport to
New Orleans. Fuel oil was restricted and many of the young crewmen had joined
the armed forces, so tramping was discontinued, and the cruises stayed close
to home. When World War II ended, the President remained in New Orleans as a
popular nightspot.
A major change came in 1978. Because the wind
made maneuvering the big boat difficult, the President had her two side wheels
removed and replaced by 1,000-horsepower diesel engines.
In 1985, the President was sold 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.
It was a well-deserved honor, as the President played an important part in the
cultural and historical heritage of the entire region and a significant role
in America's maritime and entertainment history
