You Won't Believe What's Hiding In Plain Sight Near The Mississippi River
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Daniella DiRienzo
Author
Situated just a few miles from the Mississippi River, you’ll find a deteriorating piece of history known as the Mamie S. Barrett. The abandoned steamboat once transported a president and signified luxury. Today, the Mamie S. Barrett is quickly dilapidating and is now merely a shell of what once was.
Originally serving as a towboat, the Mamie S. Barrett was constructed in 1921 at the Howard Shipyard in Jeffersonville, IN. The boat was 146’ long and 30’ wide.
By October of 1923, the Mamie S. Barrett was sold to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and relocated to Florence, AL. While owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Mamie S. Barrett played a vital role in the nation’s history - the boat served as President Roosevelt’s headquarters as he toured and inspected the Mississippi River. After 24 years, the boat was retired and sold to a construction company.
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In the years that followed, ownership of the Mamie S. Barrett changed several times. In 1949, the boat served as a clubhouse and restaurant for the Harbor Point Yacht Club, which was located in Weston Alton, MO.
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By 1981, the boat had new owners and was relocated to Eddyville, KY. It was at this time that the Mamie S. Barrett underwent an extensive restoration and was transformed into a restaurant.
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In April of 1983, the Mamie S. Barrett was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On November 5, 1987, the Mamie S. Barrett arrived in Vicksburg, and was converted into a showboat. The newly renovated boat included a 120-seat theater and a restaurant.
Within a few years of arriving in Vicksburg, the Mamie S. Barrett was purchased with the intent of transforming it into a casino; however, this idea never materialized.
In the years that followed, the boat was moved to several different locations, including Natchez, MS, Vidalia, LA, and Rosedale, MI, before making it to its final resting place in Deer Park, LA.
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Presently, the deteriorating piece of history sits just ten miles from the Mississippi River, never to be used again. Sadly, there are currently no plans for preserving the Mamie S. Barrett, leaving the boat to further decay.
Even in its current state, it’s clear that the Mamie S. Barrett was at one time a magnificent site. Did you know this steamboat even existed?
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