The riverboat captain is a storyteller. Captain Don Sanders shares the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
On Sunday, March 17, 2019, my column in the NKyTribune featured a narrative about the late Ed Smith, a celebrated Fireman aboard the Steamers AVALON and DELTA QUEEN who tended the fires beneath the hungry boilers generating steam, the life-giving blood of a steamboat.
My column chronicles the story of our relationship, from its tense beginnings on a summer morning in June 1959 to my final encounter with Ed in the autumn of 1972. Ending my comprehensive recollection of the St. Louis steamboatman, I concluded:
“Almost 30 years have passed since Ed died. Still, he is remembered and cherished by all who knew him. There’s even some chatter going around about nominating Ed for the National Rivers Hall of Fame in Dubuque, Iowa. If anyone ever on the river deserves the honor, it is undoubtedly Ed Smith.”
The chatter evidently reached the ears of Dean R. Millus, a member of the Board of Directors at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, the home of the National Rivers Hall of Fame. Dean requested what information and photos I possessed of Ed Smith. Of course, my lengthy column best documents my association with Mr. Smith. Armed with what I shared of the celebrated steamboat fireman, Mr. Millus submitted an application sponsoring Ed for inclusion into the Hall of Fame.
After completing my contributions to the matter, silence settled on my end of the line. Time went by, and I assumed that the name of the St. Louis boatman, neither a Captain, Pilot, owner of a famous steamboat, nor a celebrated river personality, was shuffled and filed away as a sidelight to the historical record. That is, until July 23 of 2025, when an early morning email message from Dean Millius nearly jolted me out of bed:
“Hi, Captain. I wanted to update you on the status of Ed Smith’s nomination. We (the board) are voting to place him on the ballot for the Hall of Fame this afternoon.”
Tears clouded my eyes as I read and reread Dean’s message, which continued: “The board was very impressed with Mr. Smith’s contributions to the river maritime industry.”
On July 24, 2025, I returned Dean’s message: “What outstanding news! I’m overwhelmed with excitement about Ed Smith’s selection among the final four nominees. There’s no one who Captain Ernest E. Wagner or Capt. Doc Hawley would enjoy being with more in the Hall of Fame than Ed.”
Another email from Mr. Millius spoke of Ed Smith being the “very first fireman ever nominated for the prestigious award.” The National Rivers Hall of Fame is the highest achievement the inland marine industry can bestow on those making the most outstanding contributions to the river trades.
Beside Captains Wagner, Doc Hawley, and Frederick Way, Jr., inductees also include Louis Armstrong, Captain Mary Becker Greene, and Mark Twain. Ed Smith, however, is the first nominee chosen from the countless number of the river’s working class upon whose backs the river industry grew and flourished. Or as someone said, “Ed Smith was an extraordinary ordinary man.” Although he certainly deserves all the accolades coming his way, Ed would surely shrink with discomfort over all the attention presently directed toward honoring him.
Only this past Wednesday did I finally discover how to cast my vote for Ed Smith and possibly one other candidate on the 2025 Hall of Fame Ballot when the link was attached to an announcement from the Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium:
“The website is now alive for voting. ANYONE can vote at this link for up to two candidates.”
Speaking as a former crewman who worked with Ed Smith aboard the Steamers AVALON and DELTA QUEEN, I urge everyone reading this column to cast a vote for the steamboatman of humble origins who made the river and the vessels he served on better, safer, and more enjoyable places to be and enjoy. Please share these links with your friends and ask them to vote for Ed and encourage their friends to do the same. More votes in Ed Smith’s favor validate the sincerity of his selection for inclusion in the National Rivers Hall of Fame for 2025.
View a copy of the National Rivers Hall of Fame 2025 Ballot Survey.
Captain Don Sanders is a river man. He has been a riverboat captain with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company and with Rising Star Casino. He learned to fly an airplane before he learned to drive a “machine” and became a captain in the USAF. He is an adventurer, a historian and a storyteller. Now, he is a columnist for the NKyTribune, sharing his stories of growing up in Covington and his stories of the river. Hang on for the ride — the river never looked so good.
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Capt. Don Sanders The River: River Rat to steamboatman, riding ‘magic river spell’ to 65-year adventure is now available for $29.95 plus handling and applicable taxes. This beautiful, hardback, published by the Northern Kentucky Tribune, is 264-pages of riveting storytelling, replete with hundreds of pictures from Capt. Don’s collection — and reflects his meticulous journaling, unmatched storytelling, and his appreciation for detail. This historically significant book is perfect for the collections of every devotee of the river.
You may purchase your book by mail from the Northern Kentucky Tribune — or you may find the book for sale at all Roebling Books locations and at the Behringer Crawford Museum and the St. Elizabeth Healthcare gift shops.
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