File:88c246 Belle of Louisville in tow of Michelle McBride at upper end of Portland Canal (28668042351).jpg

English: Looking N from I-64 near 12th Street.

. Excursion steamboat "Belle of Louisville" (doc. # 212813) and wharf boat "Mayor Andrew Broaddus" in tow of "Michelle McBride" (doc. # 225360), upbound at upper end of Portland Canal, with Conrail Bridge (aka Fourteenth Street Bridge) in distance.

"Belle" is being returned to her summmer berth at Louisville wharf near 4th Street after spending winter months moored near Corps of Engineers repair station at lower end of Portland Canal. The downtown wharf is exposed to high water, swift currents, driftwood and even occasional ice during winter more than other times of the year, so it may be easier to deal with these conditions in the slack water of the Portland Canal. Also, it may have been desirable to leave part of the wharf open in case a towboat needed to tie off there in an emergency. In any case, I think the "Belle" has remained at the wharf year-round since sometime in the 1990's. . In foreground are intermodal containers at Kentucky Container Service. . Sternwheel steamboat "Belle of Louisville" (Length 192 feet - Width 41 feet - capacity 998 passengers). Built 1914 by James Rees & Sons Co., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and rebuilt in 1968 by Jeffboat, Jeffersonville, Indiana. Engines 16's - 6 1/2 foot stroke.. Three return flue boilers (built by Nooter Corp., St. Louis, Missouri, and placed in 1968), each 28 feet long by 56 inches outside diameter, with 13 six inch flues. Burns fuel oil.. Originally named "Idlewild" and owned by the West Memphis Packet Co., the boat operated at times as a packet, excursion boat and ferry. In 1928, the boat was sold to New St. Louis and Calhoun Packet Corp., Hardin, Illinois. In 1947, the boat was sold to J. Herod Gorsage, Peoria, Illinois, and in 1948 she was renamed "Avalon". In 1950, the boat was sold to Steamer Avalon, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1962, the boat was sold at auction for $34,000 to Jefferson County, Kentucky, under the leadership of County Judge Marlow Cook, and renamed "Belle of Louisville". As of 2018, the boat is still running public and private cruises from the wharf. . Twin screw towboat "Michelle McBride" (doc. # 225360, 77x23, Cat 3408 diesels, repowered 1983, 820 hp) was built in 1925 by Nashville Bridge Co., later rebuilt in 1961 and again in 1974. Originally named "Kosmortar", the boat was owned by Kosmos Towing Co., Louisville, Kentucky. [See a starboard bow view and a starboard quarter view of "Kosmortar" in 1928, or see all towboat photos in the Caufield and Shook Collection.] In 1967, the boat was sold to McBride Towing Co., Harrods Creek, Kentucky. In 1974, the boat was sold to Five M Transportation Corp., Louisville, and in 1975 renamed "Michelle McBride". The boat was apparently still operating as late as 1994, but was off the record by early 1998. . Ohio River mile 605. Louisville, Kentucky. Mar. 1988. . file # 88c246. 35 mm Kodachrome. Plustek OpticFilm 7600i. Siverfast 8. Picture Window 6. unsharp mask (radius 1,threshold 3, 90%).

JPEG quality 95.