President (steamboat)
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PRESIDENT (Steamboat)
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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| Location | St. Elmo, Illinois |
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| Coordinates | 39°00′28″N 88°51′28″W / 39.00778°N 88.857915°WCoordinates: 39°00′28″N 88°51′28″W / 39.00778°N 88.857915°W |
| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Midland Barge Co |
| NRHP Reference # | 89002460 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 20, 1989 |
| Designated NHL | December 20, 1989 |
| Removed from NRHP | July 13, 2011 |
President was a steamboat that currently lies dismantled in St. Elmo, Illinois. Originally named Cincinnati, it was built in 1924 and is the only remaining "Western Rivers" style sidewheel river excursion steamboat in the United States. She was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989, although these designations were revoked in 2011. Her home ports have been Cincinnati, Ohio; New Orleans, Louisiana; Vicksburg, Mississippi; St. Louis, Missouri; and Davenport, Iowa.
Built in 1924 and then known as Cincinnati, she was originally an overnight packet boat which carried passengers and freight from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Louisville, Kentucky. Her first trip was to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
In 1929, she was acquired by the Streckfus Company which briefly continued her use as a packet boat but then laid her up, until 1932. Streckfus moved her to her new home port of St. Louis, Missouri; over the next two years, the ship was converted to become the largest excursion boat in America. The entire superstructure was rebuilt in steel; and a two-deck-high ballroom was added, as well as a bandstand. It was at this time that she received her new name, President.
Newly converted and newly named, she opened for business in 1934. Streckfus advertised her as "the New 5 Deck Luxury Super Steamer, Biggest and Finest On The Upper Mississippi". She continued tramping (having no fixed schedule or published ports of call)[1] until 1941. (In 1940, she was displaced from her position as flagship of the Streckfus line by the S.S. Admiral.)
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