MISSISSIPPI III
Also known as: Showboat Becky Thatcher
Why it's listed
Moored on the Muskingum River at Marietta, this sternwheel steamboat began life in 1926-27 as the Mississippi III, an inspection and work vessel designed and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Mississippi River Commission. Her steel hull carried a wooden cabin moved from the earlier Mississippi II. She carried commission members and visiting officials on spring and fall inspection trips, supervised levee and bank work, rescued flood victims, and after 1932 pushed barges. The nomination describes her as the last working sternwheeler the Corps built. Retired in 1961, she became a restaurant and museum in Hannibal and St. Louis under the name Becky Thatcher II. A local nonprofit brought her to Marietta in 1975. The interior was largely rebuilt, and the engines and boilers were removed, but the hull, smokestacks, paddlewheel, pilot house and windows remain. Today the main deck holds a theatre and the upper decks a restaurant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the last artifacts of early Mississippi River navigation and maintenance, and the last working sternwheeler built by the Corps of Engineers. It carried commission inspection tours, served as a towboat after 1932, and hosted dignitaries. It is also noted as the last of the Texas-deck sternwheel packet-style boats.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83002066, listed September 21, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 237 Front St., Marietta |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | September 21, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002066 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1926 |
| Architect / builder | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; new steel hull built at the Howard Shipyard, Jeffersonville, Indiana |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Permanently moored in Marietta; the main deck is a theatre and the upper decks are leased as a restaurant. Interior heavily altered, engines and boilers removed, no longer a traveling vessel. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Marietta Historic District (Boundary Decrease) |
| Coordinates | 39.41256, -81.44973 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83002066.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q111324705
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.