Belle of the River: The painstaking remaking of the Julia Belle Swain - La Crosse Tribune
What's in store The Julia Belle Swain’s future is a work in progress, although the head of the nonprofit group restoring the boat vows that “it won’t be like a conventional tour boat, with pizza and beer. Instead, it will be an event-oriented craft, sometimes with catered meals, said John Desmond, chairman of Save the Julia Belle Swain. The cost of operating a steam stern-wheeler means its primary use won't be as an excursion craft, he said. The JBS will be one of only five authentic operating steam riverboats in the nation — and the only one based on the Upper Mississippi River. The American Queen, the largest steamboat ever constructed, was built beginning in 1994 and launched in 1995. It offers cruises of several days on several rivers, including the Mississippi, and including stops in La Crosse. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and classified as a National Historic Landmark, it may return to river duty under new ownership. For more information about the Julia Belle Swain restoration, check the riverboat’s Facebook page at www. DUBUQUE, Iowa — The Julia Belle Swain will head to its home port of La Crosse soon, after months of dry-dock dismantling and patchwork in Dubuque to make it riverworthy after years in mothballs. Source: lacrossetribune.com
