Sue Henry Photography 2008 All Rights Reserved. Image may not be used without permission.
The Riverfront bustled with excitement. Passengers boarding. People on the tree lined river bank watching with anticipation. The mighty whistle blew it’s “all aboard!” call. The calliope slowly got “steamed up” and began it’s melodious concert. “Give My Regards To Broadway” “My Old Kentucky Home” “Auld Lang Syne”
And then, off she began her slow and graceful voyage up the river. Presumably to Cincinnati.
Every Delta Queen visit to the Port of Paducah is possibly the “last stop.” The Delta Queen is a steamboat that is considered a National Historic Landmark and currently offering riverboat cruises on the Mississippi River and its tributaries. However, the “Queen’s” future is currently uncertain.
Is it possible that the Delta Queen images that I shot yesterday will document a little bit of history? I’m not sure. I am sure, however, that a lump formed in my throat and an ever so tiny tear formed in my eye yesterday as I photographed the magnificent vessel. Sigh. A bygone era. Memories captured.
If she gets permanently docked, the foot of Broadway in downtown Paducah will never be quite the same without her visits. “Auld Lang Syne”
