END OF THE LINE FOR
STE. GENEVIEVE FERRY
Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River,
St. Francois Co. MO, Wed. July 19, 1961.
The railroad ferry Ste. Genevieve floated its last load of
boxcars across the Mississippi River at Ste. Genevieve, Tuesday, July 18.
The venerable tourist attraction was removed from service
after having made 10 trips daily since 1922 between Ste. Genevieve and Kellokk, Ill.
The Missouri Pacific Railroad, owner of the subsidiary
Missouri-Illinois Railroad, which owns the 266-foot steel-hulled transfer steamer, said
Monday the Interstate Commerce Commission has approved abandonment of the service.
Prime reason for the Ste. Genevieve's demise is her aged
condition. It would cost too much to repair her.
Instead of ferrying trains, the railroad will use a Frisco
connection to a railroad bridge at Illmo, about 75 miles south of Ste. Genevieve. Freight
will cross the bridge to Clinton, Ill., where it will then use Missouri-Illinois Railroad
tracks.
The ferry was bought in 1922 by the Missouri-Illinois Railway
Company, and its capacity was 18 cars. The present captain is Harry Greishaber of Ste.
Genevieve, and the ferry has a 13-man crew. During the summer months, the ferry had an
average of 200 cars per day.
The first spike for the railroad track to the ferry was driven
on July 10, 1901, at Little Rock, or Thomure, Mo., as it is now listed. Coming on up the
line, a trestle was built near Weingarten, called the Rough Creek Trestle, where the first
train passed over it on November 29, 1902. The first carload of coal was delivered from
Illinois across the river by ferry, and to the Lead Belt, in 1903, and the first passenger
train from Ste. Genevieve to Bismarck, August 17, 1903.
The first engine to cross on the ferry was No. 5, in 1902.
Engine No. 4 was the first passenger engine to cross on the ferry. It was called the
Kellogg Ferry. Later the ferry was torn up in an ice jam, and the ferry which is now
discontinued was called the Ste. Genevieve Ferry.
After the railroad went bankrupt following World War I, the
Southern Missouri was sold to the Illinois-Southern Co., and it was reorganized as the
Missouri-Illinois in 1921, and began new ferry operation in 1922.
Earlier, the boat pulled barges, but the ferry now being
discontinued hauled cars right on the boat.
According to reliable information the discontinuance of the
ferry will not effect railroad crewmen. The crews will work between Bismarck and Ste.
Genevieve, from Ste. Genevieve to Illmo and Illmo to Sparta over the tracks mentioned.
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