George M. Verity (towboat) facts for kids
 |
|
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States |
|
| Name |
|
| Builder | Dubuque Boat and Boiler Works |
| Launched | 1927 |
| Out of service | 1960 |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 162.5 ft (49.5 m) |
| Beam |
|
| Depth | 5.1 ft (1.6 m) |
| Installed power | 2 × Nordberg Machine Works tandem-compound condensing steam engines |
| Propulsion |
|
|
George M. Verity (Towboat)
|
|
 Location in Iowa
|
|
| Location | Keokuk, Iowa |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Dubuque Boat & Boiler Works |
| NRHP reference No. | 89002459 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 20 December 1989 |
| Designated NHL | 29 December 1989 |
The George M. Verity is a special historic towboat that you can visit today as a museum ship. It is located in Keokuk, Iowa. This boat was first built in 1927 and was called SS Thorpe. It is very important because it is one of only three steam-powered towboats left in the United States. In 1989, it was named a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a place of great historical value to the country.
Contents
About the George M. Verity
The George M. Verity is a towboat made of steel. It uses steam power and has a large paddlewheel at the back to move. The boat is about 130.1 feet (39.7 m) long, and with its paddlewheel, it measures 162.5 feet (49.5 m). When it was first built, it was 35.1 feet (10.7 m) wide. Later, it was made wider, reaching 40.6 feet (12.4 m). The front of the boat is flat, like a scow, and it has a flat bottom without a keel. Inside, it has a special support system to hold up heavy parts like the engines and boilers.
Building a River Giant
The Verity was built in 1927 in Dubuque, Iowa. It was made for the Inland Waterways Corporation, which was part of the United States Government. It was one of four towboats built to start barge service on the upper Mississippi River. The SS Thorpe, as it was then known, was the very first boat to move barges all the way from St. Louis north to St. Paul.
A New Name and New Waters
The boat worked on the Mississippi River until 1940. Then, it was sold to Armco Steel Corp. and began working on the Ohio River. Armco Steel renamed the boat George M. Verity after their founder, George M. Verity.
From Working Boat to Museum
In 1960, after 33 years of hard work on both the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, the George M. Verity was retired. The next year, in 1961, the boat was given to the City of Keokuk. They wanted to turn it into a river museum. The museum opened in 1962. The boat is now in a special drydock in Victory Park, where it stays safe. It is home to the George M. Verity River Museum, which teaches visitors about the history of the Upper Mississippi River. The museum is open every day from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, from April to November.
See also
