The President Riverboat, here shown on the Mississippi River in St. Louis.
Effingham Daily News
Published: September 19, 2005
A Riverboat in Effingham: Local Couple to Revive Historic Boat on Dry Land
By KIM WIEDMAN
When most people hear the news of a local couple’s latest business venture, they first wonder if it is just a practical joke, and then they often question the sanity of the couple.
But once David and Peggy Campbell of Effingham tell why they purchased The President riverboat and explain their future plans for the historical vessel, people often quickly jump on board with the couple’s idea.
The 80-year-old riverboat purchased by the Campbells in August has been an icon on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers for nearly a century with several locals remembering the ship at its location near the St. Louis Arch.
With the changes in Coast Guard regulations, The President was permanently docked after it failed preliminary inspections, and due to the cost to repair the boat, the owner Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. decided to retire the boat and even considered scrapping it.
But the riverboat was just what David Campbell was looking for.
The Campbells, who also own Ad Works publishing on north U.S. 45, purchased additional ground next to their business that would be used for future expansion of the business. But, the Campbells were looking for another project for seven acres of the property.
When Campbell was driving home one day, the idea struck him to purchase a boat and dry dock it. So four years later when he learned of The President’s fate, he decided that the riverboat would be the perfect boat for his project.
“For the past four years, we have been talking about what to do with that piece of property. And one day it hit me out of the clear blue, ‘why not a boat?’” said David Campbell, adding he quickly began researching the idea before presenting it to his wife.
When David Campbell approached his wife about the project, Peggy Campbell said she initially thought her husband was crazy.
“I thought he had lost his mind. I thought he was overworked and lost his mind,” she recalled with a laugh.
She said her husband is known for his original ideas.
“You have those people who think inside the box, and then you have the people who think outside the box. My husband doesn’t know there is a box,” said Peggy Campbell.
The Campbells’ plans for the 300-foot-long, 84-foot-wide and 54-foot-tall, five-deck riverboat are not set in stone at this point, but the couple said they do plan to restore the boat to the 1930s- ’40s era and have it house a hotel, restaurant, banquet hall and entertainment center.
“You could basically do anything you wanted to with it because it is a big-size boat,” said David Campbell, but emphasized the boat will not be a casino.
Besides restoring the boat that was dedicated as a national historical landmark in 1989, the couple also plans to build a moat around the boat that would allow for the operation of the sidewheels — which are the two giant side paddles.
Because the couple is applying for grant money to help fund the project, the boat must fit certain criteria, and since some of the luxuries and amenities requested by travelers do not fit the “historical” criteria, the couple went ahead and purchased a second smaller riverboat, the Lucky 7, that will potentially serve as a pool area or a water park facility. The second retired riverboat is 240 feet by 45 feet by 28 feet with two decks and is planned to be connected to the large riverboat by the decks.
Although the Campbells have a vision for the boat, one thing that has not been set is the location for the riverboat.
According to Campbell, they originally considered locating it in Effingham, which is their first choice, but David Campbell said the city didn’t seem as interested as some of the other cities that have contacted the couple — including Vandalia, Metropolis, Paduca and others located along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
“We have been contacted by various different cities,” he said.
Effingham Mayor Bob Utz said he has had conversations with David Campbell regarding dry docking the boat in Effingham.
“We were very interested in working with him, but we have never found the right site,” said the mayor, adding the two have had regular conversations. “We have talked in generalities, but we haven’t gotten down to the specifics.”
Utz said the riverboat would be a tourist attraction, so, if Effingham was the location, he would like to see it near the interstate.
“It would be a nice compliment to other things,” he said. “But there are some other communities that are very interested in it, and I don’t know where we exactly stand.”
Utz added the city may be able to offer some incentives to the Campbells, but it would depend on what the boat houses and the amount of sales tax that could be generated by the business.
With the location for the boat still up in the air, one thing about relocating the boat is certain and that is it will take over a year to move the large vessel.
Because the boat is so large and weighs 1,000 tons, it will have to be broken down into 100 pieces and then be transported by semitrailer to the selected site, where it will then be welded back together.
The Campbells, who are involving their two children, 11-year-old Caitlin and 8-year-old Collin, in the project, said they have always wanted to do a big project together and said they have made it a family project.
“We always wanted to do something big together, and this is it,” said David Campbell, adding he hopes the community where the riverboat is dry docked will also be a part of the process. “It is something we want the community to be a part of. We want to share it with the whole community.”
Kim Wiedman can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 128 or kwiedman@effinghamdailynews.com.
By KIM WIEDMAN
When most people hear the news of a local couple’s latest business venture, they first wonder if it is just a practical joke, and then they often question the sanity of the couple.
But once David and Peggy Campbell of Effingham tell why they purchased The President riverboat and explain their future plans for the historical vessel, people often quickly jump on board with the couple’s idea.
The 80-year-old riverboat purchased by the Campbells in August has been an icon on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers for nearly a century with several locals remembering the ship at its location near the St. Louis Arch.
With the changes in Coast Guard regulations, The President was permanently docked after it failed preliminary inspections, and due to the cost to repair the boat, the owner Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. decided to retire the boat and even considered scrapping it.
But the riverboat was just what David Campbell was looking for.
The Campbells, who also own Ad Works publishing on north U.S. 45, purchased additional ground next to their business that would be used for future expansion of the business. But, the Campbells were looking for another project for seven acres of the property.
When Campbell was driving home one day, the idea struck him to purchase a boat and dry dock it. So four years later when he learned of The President’s fate, he decided that the riverboat would be the perfect boat for his project.
“For the past four years, we have been talking about what to do with that piece of property. And one day it hit me out of the clear blue, ‘why not a boat?’” said David Campbell, adding he quickly began researching the idea before presenting it to his wife.
When David Campbell approached his wife about the project, Peggy Campbell said she initially thought her husband was crazy.
“I thought he had lost his mind. I thought he was overworked and lost his mind,” she recalled with a laugh.
She said her husband is known for his original ideas.
“You have those people who think inside the box, and then you have the people who think outside the box. My husband doesn’t know there is a box,” said Peggy Campbell.
The Campbells’ plans for the 300-foot-long, 84-foot-wide and 54-foot-tall, five-deck riverboat are not set in stone at this point, but the couple said they do plan to restore the boat to the 1930s- ’40s era and have it house a hotel, restaurant, banquet hall and entertainment center.
“You could basically do anything you wanted to with it because it is a big-size boat,” said David Campbell, but emphasized the boat will not be a casino.
Besides restoring the boat that was dedicated as a national historical landmark in 1989, the couple also plans to build a moat around the boat that would allow for the operation of the sidewheels — which are the two giant side paddles.
Because the couple is applying for grant money to help fund the project, the boat must fit certain criteria, and since some of the luxuries and amenities requested by travelers do not fit the “historical” criteria, the couple went ahead and purchased a second smaller riverboat, the Lucky 7, that will potentially serve as a pool area or a water park facility. The second retired riverboat is 240 feet by 45 feet by 28 feet with two decks and is planned to be connected to the large riverboat by the decks.
Although the Campbells have a vision for the boat, one thing that has not been set is the location for the riverboat.
According to Campbell, they originally considered locating it in Effingham, which is their first choice, but David Campbell said the city didn’t seem as interested as some of the other cities that have contacted the couple — including Vandalia, Metropolis, Paduca and others located along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
“We have been contacted by various different cities,” he said.
Effingham Mayor Bob Utz said he has had conversations with David Campbell regarding dry docking the boat in Effingham.
“We were very interested in working with him, but we have never found the right site,” said the mayor, adding the two have had regular conversations. “We have talked in generalities, but we haven’t gotten down to the specifics.”
Utz said the riverboat would be a tourist attraction, so, if Effingham was the location, he would like to see it near the interstate.
“It would be a nice compliment to other things,” he said. “But there are some other communities that are very interested in it, and I don’t know where we exactly stand.”
Utz added the city may be able to offer some incentives to the Campbells, but it would depend on what the boat houses and the amount of sales tax that could be generated by the business.
With the location for the boat still up in the air, one thing about relocating the boat is certain and that is it will take over a year to move the large vessel.
Because the boat is so large and weighs 1,000 tons, it will have to be broken down into 100 pieces and then be transported by semitrailer to the selected site, where it will then be welded back together.
The Campbells, who are involving their two children, 11-year-old Caitlin and 8-year-old Collin, in the project, said they have always wanted to do a big project together and said they have made it a family project.
“We always wanted to do something big together, and this is it,” said David Campbell, adding he hopes the community where the riverboat is dry docked will also be a part of the process. “It is something we want the community to be a part of. We want to share it with the whole community.”
Kim Wiedman can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 128 or kwiedman@effinghamdailynews.com.
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