EARLY STEAMBOATS OFFER BUMPY PASSAGE

During the 1800s and early 1900s, steamboats offered a cheap and fast means of travel and delivery, and with strategic location for river trade, Cape Girardeau quickly became known as a bustling river town.

Steamboats made their debut in Cape Girardeau in 1835 and were quickly recognized for their sturdiness as well as their elegance. The cargo boats were important in that they could carry heavy loads against the strong Mississippi River current, eventually reaching sizes of more than 300 by 40 feet. The passenger boats were known for their style and elegance, having luxurious cabins, grand staircases, lounges and saloons, which were frequented by professional gamblers.

Although the steamboats served both aesthetic and practical purposes, snags, explosions, collisions and fires unfortunately sank many. Very few escaped an accident, and in a 39-year span, there were 44 collisions, 166 fires, 209 boiler explosions, and 576 sinkings due to striking various obstacles in the Mississippi River. This caused some to question the construction of the vessels.

In its 1916 issue, which covered the sinking of two vessels in a 24-hour period, the Cape Girardeau newspaper The Daily Republican commented, "We wonder why boat agencies deplore the fact that both passenger and freight traffic has dwindled until there is no longer a reason to justify the expenditure of large sums on the construction of new steamboats."

The Eagle Packet Co., owner of both freight and passenger steamboats, built a steamboat specifically for the Cape Girardeau-Commerce trade named the "War Eagle." It made its maiden trip to Cape Girardeau in October 1899 from her construction site in Madison, Ind. This boat became one of many to fall victim to accident when the upper deck caught fire after only one year of service. However, a year later, the boat was re-built and named the "Cape Girardeau."

Along with another Eagle Packet Co. boat, the "Grey Eagle," the two boats handled a tremendous amount of trade during the early 1900s. The two steamboats were known to carry an array of livestock and produce to St. Louis from Southeast Missouri, often with more than 1,000 sacks of wheat, which weighed approximately 150 pounds per sack, and 800 sacks of corn, at one time.

Even though steamboats hastened the development of the Mississippi Valley, the introduction of the transcontinental railroad in the West made the important use of steamboats in years past a distant memory. Some steamboats were employed as push barges, while others were used by the Army to deliver supplies and carry mail. With the gambling gone, saloons were closed and the upper decks were changed into theaters, featuring everything from Shakespearean plays to burlesque.

While steamboats also aided the North in the Civil War, the decline in steamboat use was imminent as civilian commerce rose. Steamboats continued to work on the Mississippi into the 20th century but were eventually replaced by diesel boats, which transported cargos steamboats once carried.

Even though steamboats are no longer relied upon for the supplies they carry, there are modern day remnants of this era. The "Delta Queen," "Mississippi Queen" and "American Queen" steamboats dock periodically at Cape Girardeau. All are owned by the New Orleans-based Delta Queen Steamboat Co., and all are reminiscent of the grand steamboat era. At 285 feet in length, the "Delta Queen" greets her passengers with 87 staterooms furnished with period furniture in a cozy 19th century atmosphere. The "Mississippi Queen," measures 382 feet in length. The largest of the three boats at 418 feet in length is the "American Queen." All of these boats offer a gracious welcome to their visitors with the feeling of the grand Victorian era, including lavish staterooms decorated with period pieces.

Cape Girardeau has come a long way from the days of the steamboats. From the first one that docked at Cape in 1835 to the grand and modern "Delta Queen," steamboats will always hold an important role in the history of this city.