one of the hardest but most enjoyable challenges and art crafts to me is Paper Scuplture and lighting it for photography… I love the subtleties… I was honored that this piece toured with the actual steamboat “The Delta Queen”.

I was taught by the man who grew up on the ship Tom Greene… He wrote a great book with his mother and illustrated it…

It could be said that the Delta Queen Steamboat Company can trace its roots to a warm June 22, 1890. Not in Cincinnati, long the heart of Steamboatin’? in America, nor in New Orleans, long associated with Steamboatin’ as its largest Southern port. No, it was in Nashville, Tenn., on the Cumberland River, where a newly-licensed river pilot, Capt. Gordon Christopher Greene, attended an auction to buy a steamboat.

On the advice of a wise old roustabout, he chose the H.K. Bedford and thus created the Greene Line Steamers, entering it into service on the upper Ohio and Kanawha rivers. His young bride, Mary Becker Greene, soon began standing watch in the pilot house with him, and rapidly learned the river. Capt. Mary became one of the first licensed women pilots. The Greene Line expanded as more vessels were added to the fleet, and “home” for the fledgling Greene family was almost always aboard one of their boats.

Capt. Gordon’s savvy as a businessman allowed the Greene Line to thrive and survive many financial, political and commercial obstacles that would spring up. Skillfully merging with his rivals, building a reputation for customer service and always delivering what it promised, the Greene Line triumphed as more and more steamboats retired from the river. Even as railways and trucking lines carried an increasingly larger percentage of freight once consigned to steamboats, the Greene Line kept its share of cargo.

Realizing, though, that freight would not always sustain the line, Capt. Gordon expanded his operations to include passengers as well. At Capt. Mary’s suggestion, he inaugurated a special charter down the Ohio River to the St. Louis World’s fair. It was such a success that he scheduled several more during the fair’s duration.

Capt. Gordon passed away in 1927 and was succeeded by his son, Capt. Chris, who shared his father’s business acumen. Capt. Mary, now legendary as a river hostess, established the company’s renowned standards for hospitality and passenger care. Capt. Chris passed away unexpectedly at a young age. His brother, Capt. Tom Greene, took over the reins and guided the Greene Line into the stormy days of World War II.