RHODE ISLAND GROUP TO PRESENT NATIONAL SHIP OF THE YEAR AWARD
Organization will also recognize owner of Providence Steamboat Company
The Steamship Historical Society of America (SSHSA) is heading to the Big Apple next month to pay tribute to a National Historic Landmark as she continues to make her way out of retirement.
SSHSA, a Warwick nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving and sharing America???s maritime heritage, present the SS Columbia with the 2017 Ship of the Year award, recognizing the vessel???s 115 years on the water. Once a ferry tasked with making daily roundtrips from Detroit to Canada???s Bob-Lo Island Amusement Park, the ship is now on track to get back to work providing New Yorkers and tourists access to the great parks, historic sites, and cultural institutions of the Hudson Valley.
???As a kid growing up in Detroit, it was always a thrill to think of the possibility of taking a trip on the iconic ???Bob-Lo??? boats and experience the warmth of the steam and feel the gentle rhythm of the engine,??? SSHSA Executive Director Matthew Schulte said. ???Looking back, it seems that the boat ride was just as fun as the amusement park rides, and we are proud that the SS Columbia Project is here to make sure these memories are preserved for the next generation.???
The reception will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 6-9 p.m. at India House, 1 Hanover Square, New York, NY. The suggested donation is $100, with all proceeds benefiting the SS Columbia Project. Please RSVP to rsvp@sscolumbia.org by November 30, 2017.
SSHSA will also present its C. Bradford Mitchell Award to Captain Brian McAllister of New York???s McAllister Towing & Transportation for publishing the recent book chronicling the 150th anniversary of his family???s company. McAllister Transportation is the owner of Providence Steamboat Co., located on India Street in Providence.
The Steamship Historical Society of America was founded in 1935 by seven amateur steamship historians.
Eighty years later, it has grown to become the world???s leading organization on the history of engine-powered vessels, with close to 2,500 domestic and international members in more than a dozen countries.
The group operates the Ship History Center in Warwick, which houses the group???s impressive archive comprising thousands of images, artifacts, periodicals, artwork, official records and memorabilia.
The collection tells the story of America???s transformation from sail to steam, the foundation of SSHSA???s new ???Steaming into the Future??? educational program available at www.shiphistory.org
About the SS Columbia:
The Columbia was designed by noted marine architect Frank E. Kirby, famed for his excursion steamers and Great Lakes overnight boats, and delivered in 1902. She operated for 90 years on a route just a few miles upriver from where she was built by Detroit Shipbuilding Co. at Wyandotte, Michigan.
Kirby???s team produced a state-of-the art steamer specifically for passengers on day and summer trip excursions. The 200-foot vessel boasts a triple-expansion steam engine with indicated horsepower of 2000, driving a single propeller. Inside, Louis O. Keil filled Columbia with mahogany paneling, brass fixtures, gilded moldings and leaded glass.
She commenced daily roundtrips on the Detroit River from the foot of Woodward Avenue down 90 minutes to Canada???s Bob-Lo Island Amusement Park, and was last certified to carry 2,566 passengers. The 115-year-old Columbia is perhaps best known as the elder and larger of the two Bob-Lo boats, the younger running-mate being the SS Ste. Claire.
Columbia was recognized in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and was awarded National Historic Landmark status in 1992. Under the guidance of the SS Columbia Project, she has undergone a $1.6 million hull restoration and is now docked at Silo City on the Buffalo River.
About Captain Brian McAllister:
McAllister was a natural choice for this year???s C. Bradford Mitchell Award, which is bestowed upon an individual, institution or agency in recognition of a single achievement, such as an important book, or founding of an institution contributing to the goals, objectives and mission of SSHSA.
He provided the vision, dedication, support, enthusiasm and determination to compile and complete a comprehensive history of the marine towing and transportation company founded by his great-grandfather – McAllister Towing: 150 Years of Family Business.
As 4th generation owner and patriarch of the McAllister business, he presides over an organization of some 800 workers, 75 tugboats in 12 ports of call, and also a vibrant ferry service.
His perseverance demonstrated in the successful publication of this book, typifies his company???s, and his family???s, longstanding attributes of integrity, loyalty and outstanding service.
