MAMIE S. BARRETT (towboat) | |
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| Location | Deer Park, Vidalia, Louisiana |
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| Coordinates | 31°24′48″N91°34′40″W / 31.41336°N 91.57786°W Coordinates: 31°24′48″N91°34′40″W / 31.41336°N 91.57786°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1921 |
| Built by | Howard Brothers' Shipyard |
| NRHP reference # | 83002811 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 28, 1983 |
The MAMIE S. BARRETT, also known as PENNIMAN and PIASA, is a historic towboat which was built in 1921. It was located in Eddy Creek Marina, in Eddyville, Kentucky at the time of its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in April 1983. [1]
Eddyville is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,554 at the 2010 census, up from 2,350 in 2000. The Kentucky State Penitentiary is located at Eddyville. The town is considered a tourist attraction because of its access to nearby Lake Barkley
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred in preserving the property.
It was built in 1921 at the Howard Brothers' shipyard in Jeffersonville, Indiana at cost of $145,000 and was the flagship vessel for the Barrett Towboat and Barge Line Company. It was launched on August 11, 1921 and made its maiden voyage two weeks later.
Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky, along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Clark County.
The towboat was sold to the Army Corps of Engineers Office in Florence, Alabama in 1937 and renamed Penniman. In 1949, the towboat was bought by Lela and Spence Marshall, which renamed it Piasa, moved it at Harbor Point Yacht Club in West Alton, Missouri and operated it as a floating clubhouse. On October 20, 1981, the towboat was towed to Lake Barkley, Kentucky, where proprietors foamed the entire hull to prevent further deterioration, and planned to convert the boat to a first class restaurant and boutique. [2]
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is a U.S. federal agency under the Department of Defense and a major Army command made up of some 37,000 civilian and military personnel, making it one of the world's largest public engineering, design, and construction management agencies. Although generally associated with dams, canals and flood protection in the United States, USACE is involved in a wide range of public works throughout the world. The Corps of Engineers provides outdoor recreation opportunities to the public, and provides 24% of U.S. hydropower capacity.
Florence is a city in Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwest corner.
West Alton is a city in St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The population was 522 at the 2010 census. It is located at the tip of the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.
In 1987, after being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the boat was moved again to Vicksburg, Mississippi to be used as a showboat, and was outfitted with a theatre and a restaurant. In 1990 the boat was about to become a casino but never entered into exercise. [3]
Vicksburg, Mississippi, is a historic American city, located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana.
During the Great Flood of 1993 the boat was carried away and beached at its present location. [4] In 2013 the rusty wreck was still located on land at Deer Park Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana. [4] It was still beached in 2016 and in a state of great decay. [3]
The Great Flood of 1993 was a flood that occurred in the Midwestern United States, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages. The hydrographic basin affected over around 745 miles (1,199 km) in length and 435 miles (700 km) in width, totaling about 320,000 square miles (830,000 km2). Within this zone, the flooded area totaled around 30,000 square miles (78,000 km2) and was the worst such U.S. disaster since the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, as measured by duration, area inundated, persons displaced, crop and property damage, and number of record river levels. In some categories, the 1993 flood even surpassed the 1927 flood, at the time the largest flood ever recorded on the Mississippi.
Vidalia is the largest city and the parish seat of Concordia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,299 as of the 2010 census.
Concordia Parish borders the Mississippi River in eastern central Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,822. The parish seat is Vidalia. The parish was formed in 1807.
The wreck of Mamie S. Barrett was furtherly damaged by fire in May 2017. [5]
It is a 125 feet (38 m)-long "steel hulled sternwheel river towboat constructed with scow bow and steam engine rig." It is 30 feet (9.1 m) wide with draft of just 4 feet 7 inches. [2]
