by Ashley Murphy

I love history. It's probably one of my all-time favorite pastimes. Photos, articles, museums and artifacts. They could keep me mesmerized all day long. And some of you that aren't aware, it will be interesting to know that for the past couple of years, Chattanooga has had it's own piece of floating history moored right on the Tennessee River by Coolidge Park.

The Delta Queen is a 285 foot long American Sternwheel Steamboat. Assembled in 1927 by the California Transportation Company for use on the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, she boasts 88 staterooms and a capacity for 176 patrons. At the beginning of her time, she and her sister ship, Delta King, were considered the most lavish and expensive sternwheel steamboats in existence.

After being driven out of service in the early 40s by cars and highways, the Delta Queen was bought by another company and used for service in New Orleans. She didn't manage to stay there long before being requisitioned by the U.S. Navy as a receiving ship for Navy reservists. This lasted just shy of a year and the boat was put back into use on the Hudson River. But Pearl Harbor brought the beginning of World War II and another requisitioning from the U.S. Navy as emergency hospital transports. After the war, she remained in government service and reclassified as a Yard Ferry Boat. The Delta Queen was finally bought, again, in 1946 and received a major face lift before being sent back into passenger service in 1948.

Over the past five decades, the Delta Queen has seen seven different ownership's and more than her fair share of obstacles in the government. Thanks to several people fighting to keep the Delta Queen afloat and running, she became listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and later declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989. These fervent supporters were also able to grant her several exemptions to the Safety at Sea Law, which was passed in 1966. Those exemptions allowed her to continue running as a passenger steamboat up until Congress decided to end the exemptions and her service was ceased indefinitely in 2008. That action brought her to Chattanooga in 2009, where the Delta Queen remains a floating boutique hotel.

However, Berke may soon get his wish, as Congress has overturned the no exemption status and the boat may be able to sail the river waterways once again. As of right now, she is for sale and the company looking at the potential buy would most likely move her back to her home port in Ohio. This would mean good-bye to Chattanooga and, although a loss of a beautiful historical steamboat, which has recently been named a Historical Treasure, Mayor Berke could get his unobstructed view of a grass and concrete park back.

I would highly recommend visiting this riverboat before any plans become final and she potentially leaves Chattanooga for ever. She's absolutely beautiful and kept much of period charm Floral staterooms, brass fixtures, a grand staircase and no televisions or phones in the rooms. It has been a dream of mine for some time now to be able to stay aboard this gorgeous vessel. But if you're like myself, and are short a few dollars for one of these elegant staterooms, might I suggest having breakfast or dinner aboard the Delta Queen. Breakfast is open to the public from 7-9:30 A.M. for $10. Dinner is served from 5:30-9 P.M. and requires reservations.