Interview with Alan Bates

Partial Transcript: And you are a marine architect.

Segment Synopsis: Bates talks about the Belle of Louisville and its restoration in 1962.

Keywords: Belle of Louisville; Idlewild

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: Well tell me a little bit about your presentation you make on the Dixie Belle tours.

Segment Synopsis: Bates describes the early use of the Kentucky River for trading and how the first steamboat on the Kentucky River was built at Camp Nelson, Kentucky.

Keywords: Camp Nelson, Kentucky; New Orleans; Steamboat

Subjects: Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.) River steamers--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Dropping back a little, in 1801, the Kentucky River Company was authorized to clear the river and charge tolls.

Segment Synopsis: Bates says that the Kentucky River Company charged tolls and cleared a few snags but folded due to low toll collection. He also talks about surveys done that recommended more locks and dams.

Keywords: Kentucky River Company; Toll

Subjects: Dams--Kentucky Locks (Hydraulic engineering)--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Well, I had come to the part about packet steamboats that have run on the Kentucky River.

Segment Synopsis: Bates talks about several packet steamboats and their fates.

Keywords: Cando; City of Frankfort; Donca; Eureka; Packet boat; Steamboat; The Dove

Subjects: Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.) River steamers--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Back to river improvements, in 1878, Congress finally authorized a system of locks and dams to Beattyville.

Segment Synopsis: Bates talks about the Army Corp of Engineers building locks and dams, the government boats that maintained the river, and boats that popped up along the way.

Keywords: Beattyville, Kentucky; Blue Wing; Falls City; Fanny Freeze; The Kentucky

Subjects: Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.) Dams--Kentucky Locks (Hydraulic engineering)--Kentucky River (Ky.) United States Army Corp of Engineers

Partial Transcript: What's the relative merits of the sternwheeler and the sidewheeler?

Segment Synopsis: Bates describes the differences between sidewheel and sternwheel steamboats and different types of hulls.

Keywords: Iron hull; Sidewheeler; Steamboat; Steel hull; Sternwheeler; Wood hull

Subjects: Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.) River steamers--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Well, from talking about those packet boats, I went on to talk about life, life on the steamboats.

Segment Synopsis: Bates says that steamboat workers had to deal with workhouse conditions. They never got a break, the boats moved slowly, there were lots of bugs, and it was hot and dirty.

Keywords: Steamboat; Work conditions

Subjects: Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.) River steamers--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Did you ever hear of the boats the Hanover and the Ramona?

Segment Synopsis: Bates talks about the ice tide of 1918 and how boats were cut in half by it.

Keywords: 1917; 1918; Frankfort Elevator Coal Company

Subjects: Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.) Ice on rivers, lakes, etc.--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: The American Commercial Barge line got its start on the Kentucky River.

Segment Synopsis: Bates briefly talks about a barge company that used to tow coal.

Keywords: Calhoun, Pat; Sea Lion; The Dixie

Subjects: Barges--Kentucky Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: What was the greatest danger on these boats?

Segment Synopsis: Bates says that the biggest dangers were wind and fire. He talks about boiler explosions and the method and timing of cleaning boilers.

Keywords: Boiler explosion

Subjects: Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.) River steamers--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: They had excursion boats up there.

Segment Synopsis: Bates talks about a few excursion boats that traveled on the Kentucky River.

Keywords: Dixie Belle; Excursion boat; The Summer Girl

Subjects: Barges--Kentucky Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: How many boats have you designed?

Segment Synopsis: Bates says that he has designed thirty boats and he loves some of them and hates others.

Keywords: Boat architecture; Boat design

Subjects: Boats and boating--Kentucky River (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Harrodsburg and Boonesborough were founded in 1774 and 1775.

Segment Synopsis: Bates says that by the time the locks and dams were finished being constructed, river use was already down. He credits the decline to the increase in railroads.

Keywords: Harrodsburg, Kentucky; The Brooklyn; Valley View Ferry

Subjects: Boonesborough (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: And then I've got a little bibliography here.

Segment Synopsis: Bates lists and describes sources that he used for his presentation.

Keywords: Kentucky River reference

Subjects: