Community News of Importance

A beautiful and exciting addition to our neighborhood came about when the steamboat Pickwick Belle arrived at her new homeport at Pickwick. It is fitting that she should find a home here, for the earliest settlers to Hardin County arrived by floating down the river on crudely constructed rafts and flatboats. It was not until shortly before the Civil War that steamboat traffic became a regular event on the river. Villages grew up around river landings, with much of the commerce depending on steamboats. During the Civil War, many of the troops that fought at Shiloh were transported along the river. In recent times, most of the river freight has been shipped on barges, with an occasional visit by the Mississippi Queen and the Delta Queen. The Pickwick Belle will be available for dinner cruises on a regular basis. You can check her schedule for the latest updates.

You might be pleased to know that the Pickwick Belle has shown a remarkable success since her arrival at Pickwick. Marketing Director Tanya Irwin has reported 1,532 visitors between October 27 and December 31, of 2007. These passengers have visited our area from 9 different states. They are offering 30 different types of cruses in 2008!