Mississippi River Boat Excursion on the W.W., circa 1910

Waiting to board the W.W. steamboat on the Mississippi River, circa 1910

During the summers, excursion boats plied the Mississippi. For “day trippers”, a favorite destination from Davenport, Iowa (and Rock Island, Illinois – its sister city just across the Mississippi) was Linwood – just 8 or 9 miles down the river.

In 1910, about the time this photo was taken the Rock Island Argus newspaper noted:

  "The low stage of water in the Mississippi river has effectually cut out the excursion business in nearly every city on the upper river, although as yet this city is not on the list. The steamer W.W. which runs excursions all along the line from St. Paul to St. Louis, is here apparently to stay for the remainder of the summer although it was scheduled to carry a number of excursions out of other cities both up and down the river from here. The stage of water has made this impossible however, and everything in the excursion line, with the exception of those from the tri-cities, has been cancelled by the officials of the boat. The W.W. will remain in service here and a number of afternoon trips and moonlight excursions have been arranged to fill in the time during which it would otherwise have to remain idle. Trips to Linwood. Commencing this week the boat will, make two trips each Sunday to Linwood, the popular picnic grounds about eight or ten miles down the river on the Iowa side…"

 As to the attractions of Linwood,  a 1902 Davenport newspaper article described the annual excursion of the St. Pauls' Evangelical Lutheran Church Sunday School:

There were about 500 excursionists in all. At Linwood, football, base ball, boat riding and other games were indulged in.  Young ladies as well as young men played foot ball until they glowed like peeled beets. The Excursionists returned to Davenport in the early evening and Rev. W. H. Blancke reported that it was the most successful and enjoyable picnic ever held by the Sunday school of St. Pauls’s church."

 A print photo of the same scene as the one above and obviously taken on the same day includes the aforementioned W.H. Blancke, the pastor of St. Pauls’ church. So this picture may also have been a church outing, although taken some years later than the one described in the 1902 newspaper.

Identified in this photo are 2 of our Paulson sisters: Edna Paulson stands second from the left, while Esther Paulson is on the far right.

Identifiers:

 Negative: Paulson503 (5x7" glass negative; scanned at 1200 tiff and reduced to 400 jpeg for this post)

 Place: Davenport, Iowa / Rock Island, Illinois

 Date:  Circa 1910 (based on clothing, apparent age of known people)

 People:

Edna Gertrude Paulson (1 Apr 1891, Davenport Iowa - 5 Feb 1976,  Chisago County, MN)

Esther Maria Teresia Paulson (29 Jan 1894, Olivia, Texas - 28 Jun 1992, Superior, Wisconsin)

 Other:

W.W. (steamboat)

Photo album picture # elalbum037.tif

Sources:

Identification of the boat is based on pictures of the W.W.  Each of the packets appears to have had distinct characteristics. The W.W.’s cupola is especially distinct.  See:

"Steamer "W.W." on the Mississippi in the Upper Mississippi Digital Archive 

Newspapers:

"Girls play football" Davenport Daily Republican (Davenport, Iowa)  25 July 1902 Page 8.

"Stops Excursions: Low Stage of River Forces Cancellation of Most of W.W.'S Dates. Local Port Not Affected." Rock Island Argus, 26 Jul 1910 1910, 1.

ort, Iowa)  25 July 1902 Page 8.