Steamboats had a great influence on the founding of Winona and to the prosperity of all the regions served by the steamboat service. The Society reflects these important contributions to these area's culture, economics, and to the technology of river navigation.
The steamboat era lasted from around 1830 to 1890, a period of a mere sixty years. The steamboats held on into the twentieth century, and in fact pioneered the modern pusher style towboats we see today. Many steamboats still offer excursion and cruise tours.
A Time Line of interest:
1811 First Steamboat on Mississippi (Fulton)
"New Orleans" Deep hulled Hudson river Steamboat
1816 Henry Shreve designs first Mississippi River
Steamboat " Washington" 136 x 28 ft.
Marked by shallow hull of basic keel boat design
Sidewheeler for maneuverability on upper
Mississippi sections of the river north of Natchez.
1827 First Steamboat journey to upper Mississippi
Included William Clark of Lewis and Clark.
(This period of time 1830-1850 saw huge
population growth along the river. In fact,
Minnesota grew more in twenty years than New
York did in two hundred.)
1830 Steamboat Lands in Winona.. Capt Orin Smith
(Imagine that! Fifteen years from Shreve's design!
1851 Winona Founded (Imagine! another twenty years!)
1864 Civil War Ends
1867 Winona & St. Peter Railroad comes to Winona
First locomotive delivered to "northwest territory"
arrives by, what else, steamboat!
1867 Mark Twain's "Life on the Mississippi"
1870 Str. "Natchez" (Capt. Thomas P. Leathers) and
Str "Robert E. Lee" (Capt. John Cannon) Race
1902 "Sprague" First modern Mississippi tow boat. Pusher
style stearnwheeler of extremely basic design for
barge moving. No frills powerful and with a big 38
foot wheel (later reduced to thirty five feet)
worked until 1948!
1930 Practical end of Steamboat Era
Today, river navigation is marked by large Diesel pusher type tow boats resembling "Washington" in origin and "Sprague" in basic design. Shallow hull, rear propulsion, pusher style tow boats.
The group was founded to standardize model steamboat construction to promote recreation of sights and sounds of the period. And to foster equitable standards for the purposes of scale steamboat operation including racing, navigational, haulage, and static display competitions. The group was founded also to promote social interaction between persons interested in steamboats, the steamboat era, and the cultural development of the regions served by the steamboats.
The idea is to formalize the designs into readily built, economically feasible, and easthetically pleasing forms. The goal of which is to promote the construction and involvement of as many persons as are interested, including families, business groups, and individuals.
Social activities include four events, one coincident with Steamboat Days celebration in Winona, The Greater Winona Area Steamboat Day's Races. The others are, the Winona Winter Carnival Captain's Supper and Organizational Meeting, the Mardi Gras Celebration and Boat Show, and the Fall Run for Sun.
Winter Carnival Captain's supper!
Scheduled at Motel with pool.
Afternoon business meeting
Dinner party.
Might include happy hour boat show poolside.
The Spring Mardi Gras Boat Preview
Is a showing of boats, either completed or incomplete, to
introduce methods, discuss technical questions, disseminate
information, promote the upcoming seasons racing activities.
This might be organized to occur on a Saturday afternoon at
any local motel with a pool. Boat testing, technical
discussions and open swimming with lunch and beverages
Two poolside rooms could be rented for mens and ladies
dressing rooms lunch and gear stowage.
The Greater Winona Area Steamboat Day's Races
The major event of the season are envisioned to coalesce into
the following scenario ... with enjoyment enthusiasm and
congeniality enjoyed by all.
Saturday Morning 9:00 - 12:00
General Registration (all times till noon)
Static Display Judging (10 till noon)
All entries for static display must be
registered by 10:00 AM. Register by mail with
completed form, on line or on site.
Saturday trials and trimming. 9:00 till 4:00
Saturday Afternoon 1:00 - 4:00 Pilot's Competitions
(including navigation of fixed course in current)
Pilots must have boats registered by 12:00
Wine and Cheese Party 7:00 - 8:00
Saturday Evening 8:00 till 10:00
Calliope Judging and Lighting and searchlight displays.
Weather permitting.
Sunday Morning 9:00 till noon Pre Race Festivities
Final Entry till Noon!
All boats must be online in water by noon.
(This is to allow photographers the opportunity to
photograph groups of steamboats and to engender the busy
St Louis - New Orleans docks and for the boats to evoke
all the festooned regalia of race day!)
Sunday 12:00 Noon Double Cannon (two rounds)
Closing of registration, all boats must be in water.
(unregistered boats will be requested to vacate all
racing zones... but will be allowed to navigate
remainder of waterway provided the frequency is
available)
12:45 Cannon (two rounds)
12:58 Horn two short blasts
12:59 Horn Long blast (three seconds)
Sunday 1:00 Race Start (final cannon)
All who are able shall sound horn or whistle!
Early starters will be required to return to the starting
line.
Payload blocks will be picked up at each landing
Payload blocks must be sequential (no gaps) but can be
obtained in any order Blocks out of sequence will be omitted
Only boats finishing course will be awarded time (others
judged on last payload block.
Boats must touch shoreline at each landing and are required
to stop all motion of the wheel(s) before continuing.
Whistle blast will be appreciated on each departure.
smoke generation at landing is awarded five points. Black
smoke generation an additional five points Both white and
black will be awarded ten points.
Sunday 4:00 Race Ends
Sunday 4:00 till 6:00 Points tally
(Awards determined foe following events:
Peoples choice Award With points allotted per vote.
Best Scale rendition
Best Lighting
Best Sound
Pilots Award
Race 1st place cash award 50 % and trophy
First runner Up, 30 % and placard
All others split 20 % and ribbons
Assume 10 racers 20 dollars entry fee for race
prizes to total 200 dollars, all fees dispersed.
first 100
second 60
eight each of 5 dollars
or Racer's choice by ballot ... WINNER TAKE ALL! $200.00
Sunday Awards Ceremony 6:00
6:00 Hospitality Hour
7:00 Dinner
9:00 Public Dance and Awards Ceremony
10:00 Dance to live band
Sunday 11:00 Closing and Thanks!
The Fall "Run for the Sun"
The second race, the Fall Run, is being planned for
September. The Fall Run being the Steamboats final run to
warmer regions to the south, before getting frozen out ...
out of commercial service.
This tongue in cheek competition, involves all boats
lingering at the starting line until the last possible moment
and then dashing for the destination and arriving at the last
possible second before a predesignated time. Theoretically,
any or everyone can win! Provided they all finish side by
side .... anyone coming ahead before the cut-off time will
be disqualified. Anyone straggling behind after the last
second runs the risk of being "frozen out". Closing minute
divided into twelve, five second time slots. Thus providing
two photo/video opportunities for large groups of Steamboats,
the start (summer's end) and finish (the Grande Promenade...
in fall colors!). The Fall Run for the Sun will also include
Pilots competition at Stockton Garvin Brook (or elsewhere) Arches
Community Park? or Pickwick ... Valley Cedar Creek(?) or
Minnesota City(?) on Saturday and the Static Display
Competition on Saturday or Sunday.
I personally wouldn't mind seeing this on Sunday September 22
Another twist to this event might be to pick up as much
freight as possible from as many landings as possible before
arriving at the destination at the predesignated cut off
time. Points awarded for most freight, closest time, and
latest departure.
A quarterly Newsletter will be maintained and the Society's
website will be maintained.
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copyright Winona Steamboat Racing and Historical Society 2002