''Sergeant Floyd'' is a historic
museum boat, serving as the Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center at 1000 Larsen Park Road in
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County ...
. Built in 1932 as a utility vehicle and
towboat
A pusher, pusher craft, pusher boat, pusher tug, or towboat, is a boat designed for pushing barges or car floats. In the United States, the industries that use these vessels refer to them as towboats. These vessels are characterized by a squar ...
, she is one of a small number of surviving vessels built specifically for the
in its management of the nation's inland waterways. The boat has been restored and
drydock
A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
ed, and now houses exhibits about the
Missouri River and local tourism information. The museum is a facility of the
Sioux City Public Museum
The Sioux City Public Museum is a museum about the history and culture of Sioux City, Iowa. Displays include a video about the city's history, Native American artifacts, pioneer artifacts, historic transportation vehicles, agriculture, industry, g ...
.
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.
[
]
Description and history
''Sergeant Floyd'' is located in a drydock in Larsen Park, on the waterfront of the
Missouri River just north of the Sioux City Marina. She is a steel-hulled craft with a superstructure of wood and steel. She has a total length of , a beam of , and a hold depth of . When fully loaded, she had a draft of . Her hull has a sharp prow, and has both longitudinal and transverse bulkheads. She has a hogging frame, which provides additional reinforcement in the event of running aground. The superstructure has three levels, providing crew quarters and the operating spaces of the vessel. In 1937 she underwent alterations to address vibrations in her hull, and in 1962-63 her engines were upgraded.
She was built in 1932 at the Howardville Shipyard in
Jeffersonville, Indiana, and was delivered to the
(USACE) Kansas City District. Her early service was as a support vehicle, moving men, equipment, and supplies throughout the district, and conducting inspection voyages. She remained in active service until 1975, when Congress authorized her to be remodeled for use as a USACE museum ship. She served in this role first as a traveling exhibit, and then berthed at
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
until 1982, when she was given to the city of
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County ...
.
See also
*
''Baltimore'' (tug), a similar vessel for the
city of Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
, also a National Historic Landmark
*
List of U.S. National Historic Landmark ships, shipwrecks, and shipyards
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa
The List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa contains the landmarks designated by the U.S. Federal Government for the U.S. state of Iowa.
There are 27 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in Iowa.
;Key
Current NHLs
...
*
References
External links
Sergeant Floyd River Museum and Welcome Center- Sioux City Public Museum
{{NRHP in Woodbury County, Iowa
National Historic Landmarks in Iowa
Towboats
Museums in Woodbury County, Iowa
National Register of Historic Places in Sioux City, Iowa
Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
Museum ships in Iowa
History museums in Iowa
1932 ships
United States Army Corps of Engineers
Tourist attractions in Sioux City, Iowa