Padelford Riverboats
Padelford Riverboats, established in 1969, is the sole provider of river boat cruises within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in the Twin Cities of the U.S. State of Minnesota. Padelford boats cruise on the Mississippi River and celebrate the history of the region. The Padelford Riverboat Company is based at Harriet Island in downtown St. Paul. The company was founded in 1969 by William Bowell - a World War II decorated veteran - at a time when the Mississippi River was neglected and underused. The activities of Bowell and Padelford helped build relationships between the people and the river, and spurred positive changes on the riverfront. History Founder William Bowell grew up close to the river, helping his father's small business on Harriet Island. He served in World War II, then enrolled at Macalester College after the war. His lifelong dream was to pilot a boat on the Mississippi River. He was a curator for the Minnesota Historical Society and later a businessman, but returned to the river in 1969 to start the Padelford Riverboat business. His lifelong collection of books about the river, along with historic photographs, books, blueprints, original documents, and other reference materials are stored in the Captain William D. Bowell, Jr. River Library, housed in the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa. After initially purchasing the paddle steamer Jonathan Padelford, Bowell continued to expand the boat inventory. He also expanded the original boat itself - cutting it in half and adding a 20-foot section at midship. The eventual fleet included three coast-guard rated boats and 5 vessels total. In 2006, the three co-owners sold one of their boats, the Harriet Bishop, to buy a new overnight cruiser to replace the Viking Explorer, which had been sold in 1998. But before they could get their hands on one, the economy slipped into recession and that extra cash ended up providing the necessary resources for the company to remain in operation. Operations The company was founded by Captain William Bowell, who retired in 2002, passing leadership of the company to his family members Bill Bowell Jr, Beth Myers, Shelley Kosmo, Steve Bowell, and Jim Kosmo; and General Manager Gus Gaspardo. The Padelford operated out of Harriet Island originally, and continues to this day. For a period from 1988 until 2004, they also operated from Boom Island in Minneapolis. Their Minneapolis operations were within a contract with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and ended when the two parties were unable to come to terms for a new contract. Starting in 1996, Padelford partnered with the National Park Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the St. Paul chapter of the National Audubon Society, Hamline University's Center for Global Environmental Education, and other government agencies and nonprofit organizations to create a temporary floating classroom/field trip series. This field trip series on a Padelford riverboat includes curriculums involving environmental studies, ecology, aquatic life and watershed stewardship as well as cultural