''Montgomery'' is a steam-powered sternwheel-propelled

snagboat A snagboat is a river boat, resembling a barge with superstructure for crew accommodations, and deck-mounted cranes and hoists for removing snags and other obstructions from rivers and other shallow waterways. USA During the American Civil ...

built in 1925 by the Charleston Dry Dock and Machine Company of Charleston, South Carolina, and operated by the

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

. ''Montgomery'' cleared snags and obstructions from the Coosa,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, Apalachicola,

Chattahoochee The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the con ...

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and sta ...

, Black Warrior, and Tombigbee Rivers until her retirement from the Corps of Engineers on November 8, 1982. She was restored in 1984 and again in 2004. One of only two surviving Army Corps of Engineers snagboats (along with '' W.T. Preston''), she was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1989., and
''Montgomery'' now operates as a museum ship at the Tom Bevill Lock and Dam Visitor Center in

Pickensville, Alabama Pickensville is a rural town in Pickens County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 608, down from 662 in 2000. It was initially incorporated in 1839 (although two other sources claim 1825 and 1835) and briefly served be ...

''Montgomery'' is built out of steel plates mounted in a steel frame. Her hull is long, which extends to with the addition of the sternwheel. She is wide, and has a hold depth of . She has a

scow A scow is a smaller type of barge. Some scows are rigged as sailing scows. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, scows carried cargo in coastal waters and inland waterways, having an advantage for navigating shallow water or small harbours. S ...

-shaped bow and a flat bottom with no keel. She is designed to hold machinery anywhere along the hull length, and to withstand the stresses of pulling on snags. Rows of steel I-beams support its superstructure, including the forward-mounted boom, mounted on an A-frame. The frame is designed to support different types of equipment, including bucket dredges as well as the snag boom. The boom is maneuvered by steam-powered winches, and there are steam-powered capstans to assist in stabilize the boat while snagging. The pilot house is set on a deck above the boilers.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Historic Landmarks in Alabama National Register of Historic Places in Pickens County, Alabama Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama Paddle steamers of Alabama Museum ships in Alabama 1925 ships Snagboats of the United States

See also

References