Riverlorians we have known: specialized historians on Delta Queen steamboats enrich river cruising - Behind The Scenes

"There was a day in 1812 when the Mississippi River flowed backwards," Toots tells a group of guests while steaming down the Ohio River on the way to the confluence of two great rivers. Traveling on the waterways from Cincinnati to Memphis on the Delta Queen Steamboat Company's Mississippi Queen, Toots was referring to the great earthquake of 1812 at New Madrid, Missouri. One of the most powerful quakes to jolt North America, it temporarily reversed the flow of the mighty Mississippi--that's just one of hundreds of facts she's got in her head.

Only on a Delta Queen cruise will you find Karen "Toots" Maloy or one of her associate "riverlorians"--historians of the rivers. But, riverlorians share more than history--they know the culture and lore of America's heartland rivers.

Toots says, "As far back as 1976, when I was an entertainer onboard, people on these boats asked me questions. Since I enjoyed the river and riverboating, I started compiling answers to the most often asked questions" Eventually she had a sizable notebook.

In 1985 the company asked her to take some side trips along the river to record everything she could discover about the towns, bridges, power stations, dams, locks, and so on. She set off on a bicycle near the headwaters of the Mississippi and rode 1,500 miles along its banks gathering mile-by-mile data, fulfilling a personal quest to learn about American rivers.

She not only explored main streets, museums, and stately mansions, but also researched dusty records in county libraries and interviewed old-timers in barber shops, in diners, and on front porches, collecting their stories of bygone days. Along the way she developed a deep-seated understanding of the rivers and towns and the people who live there. The results of those miles of riding and hours of questioning locals about folklore, floods, earthquakes--everything of interest to riverboat passengers--are now in thick books on the Delta Queen's three riverboats.

And so in 1988 the riverlorian was born. "I didn't want a high-falutin title like historian, so I made up the word `riverlorian' to include both facts and folklore," Toots reminisces. (In case you're wondering about the phrase "high falutin," Toots will tell you that it refers to steamboatin' times when high fluted stacks spewed hot cinders and smoke away from passengers; fancy folk who traveled on steamboats in the 19th century became known as "high falutin" people.) Today each of the company's steamboats--Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen, American Queen--has a riverlorian trained by Toots.

Since 1989, past and present have come together onboard Delta Queen boats when Lewis Hankins, a Mark Twain lookalike and authority, strides into the salon. On some seven-night cruises in 2003, Hankins returns in his show, "Marking Twain," showcasing the writer's wit and wisdom, as well as contemporary views on the Mississippi.

When the American Queen was launched in 1995, Clara Christensen, who feels "nothing beats steamboatin'," became her riverlorian. Clara, a former travel agent, is a globe-trotter whose journeys include barge trips in both England and China.

Jerry Hay's love of rivers and riverboating runs deep, having explored America's rivers by raft, canoe, and powerboat. In his former position as director of the Indiana Waterways Assn., Hay learned even more about the importance of our rivers, lakes, and streams. New to the Delta Queen, he shares his love of the rivers on voyages of American rediscovery.

Bill Wiemuth's fascination with the river began with reading Mark Twain. From his post on the Mississippi Queen, Wiemuth says, "Serving as a riverlorian, or historian of the river, is a rare and precious opportunity to discover and share the treasured tales scattered across the heartland of America."

With 14 years on the Belle of Louisville (an authentic Kentucky-based sternwheeler), Travis Vasconcelos will impart his knowledge of steamboats, calliopes, and the river as relief riverlorian on the Mississippi Queen and American Queen.

Every morning at 8 a.m. on each Delta Queen paddlewheeler, the riverlorian presents an enlightening and entertaining "river chat" about what you'll see on the river that day plus other river-related topics as you enjoy a casual breakfast buffet. There's always time for questions and answers.

If you haven't taken a Delta Queen cruise, you probably don't realize just how much barge traffic there is on America's major arteries, even in the 21st century. In that vein, Toots may lead a discussion of "tows," the fleets of barges being towed up and down the river--but it could just as easily be about the floods of 1937 or a revelation of the exciting days of steamboat racing and the colorful characters that populated those fancy white paddlewheelers. Or she may pick a topic like steamboat bells and whistles, or wax romantic about the calliope. More than likely, she'll talk about navigation and flood control when passing through locks, mile markers along the river bank, or how to read river maps. She could spend a morning describing how the Army Corps of Engineers, with massive dredges, keeps the rivers flowing along the paths shown on maps. Still, riverboat captains have to know how to spot a sand bar that wasn't there on the last passage.

With Toots's daily talks and infectious ways, passengers also develop a passion to learn more about the region, coming to the Chartroom to track the progress along the way or simply to chat with Toots, who encourages conversation, giving guests a closer look at a former era and observations of modern life by the rivers.

You'll want to explore the small towns off the beaten path seemingly unchanged by time, where strangers say "hi" and shopkeepers treat you like a long-lost friend. Perhaps you'll visit a cafe to sample some regional specialty, like boiled peanuts or fried pickles in the South, before returning to the comfort and convenience of the riverboat. "Here, one can rediscover the America of your childhood--a way of life and an attitude toward living thought lost forever," Toots says.

Enthusiastic about American history and a provincial life, especially the late 19th century "golden age" of steam, we were charmed with tales of this period when more than 10,000 paddlewheelers plied our nation's rivers. Don't pass up the opportunity to purchase Toots's informative booklet THE RIVER: More Your Friend And Less A Stranger--A River Companion when onboard. It's filled with fascinatin' readin'!

After a Delta Queen voyage, you may get so inspired with the river and river-lore that you might enjoy reading or re-reading Mark Twain's classic Life On The Mississippi, first published in 1883 by Osgood & Co. If you're the least bit technically inclined, you will certainly like James Thomas Flexner's Steamboats Come True, originally printed by the Viking Press in 1944, but most recently from Little, Brown and Company (ISBN 0-316-28608-7). We also highly recommend Stan Harvey's The King And Queen Of The River about the life of the Delta King and the Delta Queen from the 1920s to the present (River Heritage Press, ISBN 0-9642513-3-7).

The rivers are the lifeblood of our nation, especially the waterways of America's Heartland, where so much history unfolded. From exploration to transportation to commerce to warfare--whatever the topic--riverlorians make it entertaining as well as educational, turning a Delta Queen cruise into much more than just a boat ride.

For more information contact your travel agent or the Delta Queen Steamboat Company (Cruise Travel Magazine), Robin Street Wharf, 1380 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans, LA 70130; phone 800-543-1949; or log on to www.deltaqueen.com.

COPYRIGHT 2003 World Publishing, Co. (Illinois)
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group