The Delta Queen is a sternwheel steamboat that is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The Delta Queen and her sister ship Delta King began service in the 1920s on Califorinia Rivers. During World War II, the ships were used by the United States Navy for duty in San Francisco Bay. In 1946, the Delta Queen was sold and towed to New Orleans. She began cruising the Mississippi River and its tributaries on a regular schedule, with cruises ranging from New Orleans to Memphis to St. Louis to St. Paul to Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, and many more ports.
My mother took a trip on the Delta Queen in October, 1965 and sent me twelve postcards from her trip. These are some of the postcards she sent me.
My mother took another (and different) Delta Queen trip in 1968. I don't have any postcards from that trip, but I was able to see the ship and go aboard when it docked in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Delta Queen continued its river trips for many more years. Although its continued operation was threatened by the Safety at Sea Law of 1966 that prohibited operating vessels with wooden superstructures in overnight passenger service, the Delta Queen was given a special Congressional exemption from the law in 1970. The Delta Queen's exemption eventually expired and the Delta Queen ceased operations at the end of the 2008 season. Since June 2009, the Delta Queen has been docked in Chattanooga, Tennessee and has been converted into a hotel.
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Fantastic that you kept all the postcards.
ReplyDeleteI love these post cards, and remember seeing the Delta Queen on the mighty Mississippi sometime or another in St. Louis, or along the river near Alton where that cave was.
ReplyDeleteThis was so wonderful! I enjoyed all of the postcards and your Mom's messages to you. What an important piece of history.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
A great series of postcards. We don't see ships like this in the UK.
ReplyDeleteA lovely set of postcards. The Delta Queen was certainly a magnificent vessel.
ReplyDeleteI've long dreamed of travelling on a sternwheel paddle steamer ... possibly ever since being captivated by Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn as a kid. Now I want to hear a calliope on a sternwheeler! Perhaps I'll wait until the Delta Queen starts cruising again.
ReplyDeleteAmazing, only today I was talking with a friend about Mississippi River and Riverboats. Spooky
ReplyDeleteThis week's prompt was custom-made for you, I'd say. I enjoyed reading your mom's messages. (By the way, doesn't it sound odd to call the Delta King a "sister ship"?)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to travel down the Mississippi, a moored hotel does not have the same romance as the wheel going round as it chugs along the river. Great set of cards and memories.
ReplyDeletehow fun to have those postcards. Would love to take that trip.
ReplyDeleteNancy
That's a great collection. I read a neat book last year: Wicked River: The Mississippi When It Last Ran Wild by Lee Sandlin which describes how the river has changed over the last few hundred years. Even Mark Twain would not recognize it now.
ReplyDeleteThe Delta Queen sounds (and looks) so familiar. I wonder if I didn't see it as a child on the Mississippi.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome collection,(great messages too) they make me want to journey there soon!
ReplyDelete"Up at sunrise to go to the cathedral..." how lovely! I think it's just beautiful to start a day seeing the sunrise and going to a place of worship.
ReplyDeleteLucky Mother to take the trip and Lucky you to receive the cards. BTW did you get the links I sent you?
ReplyDeleteI envy your mom's trip. I've always wanted to go on one of those Mississippi River cruises. I'm not sure why because it's such a muddy old river. Like others, I think of Mark Twain, Huck Finn, and the gambler Maverick. I'd probably be disappointed in the real thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd We Shared The Journey in a sense?!Your Mum's messages add spice to the trip.Thanks For Showing.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the Cave-in-Rock postcard because that is my neck of the woods. Growing up I lived in Southern Illinois and it was a summer tradition to have a family get-together at least once each summer there and explore the area. Such fond memories!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous memento of a trip. They must be wonderful ships to travel on, and a spectacular way to see America.
ReplyDeletethe 5th is my fave.
ReplyDeleteThough fuzzy,
it seems like a fun thing to do
to journey on such a boat.
:)~
HUGZ