Early Showboats

The old locomotives belching black smoke as they rumbled on the iron tracks, and the magical paddle wheelers with their calliopes that plied the rivers are two of my very favorites.

Early Show Boats On The Ohio

No one around today that would remember the days of the river show boats, the Golden Rod, the Cotton Blossom, those magnificent boats that piled the Ohio River from Pittsburgh and on down the Mississippi to New Orleans making a round trip each summer along about the turn of the century.

These large floating theaters were double deckers with the lower deck fitted out in the fashion of a theater. The upper deck housed the personnel and since they were not self propelled they required a tow boat which pushed them along the way from town to town. They were veritable floating places. The theater section would seat at least as many as two hundred people.

The personnel consisted of a full size brass band, a dozen or more chorus girls, acrobats, actors, animals trainer, etc. The brass band also doubled as an orchestra.

The show boat stopped at all the river towns along the way and provided entertainment such as might be seen in Louisville, Kentucky or the St. Louis vaudeville theaters.

The tow boat was equipped with a steam calliope whose melodious music could be heard for miles and heralded the coming of the boat long before the landing at each town. This gave the inhabitants an opportunity to rush down to the river bank and welcome the landing, the arrival being of great interest to the towns people. The calliope could also be heard over the country side and alerted the people that the show boat was in town.

It must be borne in mind that in those days there were no movie theaters, radios or televisions and automobiles had not arrived on the scene. People who traveled used the house and buggy, or walked and they didn’t stray far from home. So any unusual event attracted them.

The main attraction lasted for two or more hours and the audience was delighted. At the intermission the vendors sold peanuts, pop corn and strawberry pop.

As the years passed movie theaters, automobiles, radio and television provided people with various means of entertainment and the glory of the river show boats faded until they were only a shadow of what they had once been and finally they were no more. it is doubtful that it will ever return but it will be remembered by those who once upon a time appreciated it so much.

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In Nov. 1936 The Show Boat "Golden Rod", visited Dycusburg on the Cumberland River.  The Golden Rod, billed as the world's greatest Showboat played to a large audience at Dycusburg.  a complete Vaudeville program together with many other features were offered to the public.