While in Louisville this week, I had the opportunity to drive across the river and visit the Howard Steamboat Museum in Jeffersonville, Ind.
The museum is housed in an 1890s mansion built by Edmonds Howard. He was the owner of the Howard Shipyard, which built thousands of steamboats over many decades, until the yard was taken over by the government during World War II.
The museum has an extensive collection of steamboat memorabilia, including whistles, models, photographs and many other treasures, all surrounded by the beautifully restored ornate furniture, woodwork and chandeliers of the mansion.
The director of the museum is Keith Norrington, a friend, longtime steamboat fan and, as of the beginning of 2012, author of the weekly “Old Boat” column for the Waterways Journal. Keith graciously gave me a tour of the entire museum. Below are just a few of the highlights. As always, you can click on any photo for a larger view, which I particularly recommend in this case so you can see some of the detail in the museum’s collection.
