The Severed Cortex

Link: http://www.save-the-delta-queen.org

The last of the true flat bottom sternwheelers. Yes, there are others, but none have the history of The Delta Queen. I remember getting to tour it a couple of times when I was a kid and I remember how shiny and clean it was inside. Years later I would understand this all too well as cleaning is a preeminent part of a deckhand's life. On Sunday morning heading to church, we knew that if there were strange people walking up and down the main street the Delta Queen must be in town. Caruthersville was unique in that there were a myriad of Christian denominations within a couple of the riverfront. The good folks at the Delta Queen wanted to make sure you got your churchin' in. If you were Pentecostal or Church of the Nazarene, you had a hike in store for you. Everyone else had less than seven very small blocks. If you were a devotee of church of alcohol the Climax Bar was only one block away. After church my dad would always drive us down by the riverfront to see the Delta Queen docked. Good times.

A nice blog entry from my friend Gary Figgins, editor of Show Me Missouri magazine.