''William M. Black'' is a steam-propelled, sidewheel dustpan dredge, named for
William Murray Black, now serving as a
museum ship
A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...
in the harbor of
Dubuque, Iowa. Built in 1934, she is one of a small number of surviving steam-powered dredges, and one of four surviving
dredges. 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 liste ...
in 1992.
She is open for tours as part of the
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium.
Description and history
''William M. Black'' is located at the head of the Dubuque Harbor, where Ice Harbor Drive meets East 3rd Street. She has a riveted steel hull long, and wide at its widest point, including the paddleboxes for its sidewheels. Her hold is deep, and she has a scow-formed bow and no keel. Her superstructure has three decks, supported by a network of steel I-beams, so that heavy equipment could be supported anywhere within her structure. The dustpan dredge is mounted in front, with winched cables on either side to hold the ship in place during dredging operations. The paddleboxes are located about 2/3 of the way down the hull. The pump that operated the dredge was located in a forward position, with its steam power plant located just aft of its position. One of the ship's paddlewheels has been removed, and is on display on the museum grounds.
According to information provided on the tour, ''William M. Black'', one of the last
paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses wer ...
s built in the US, was used primarily along the
Missouri River. She had a crew of 49 and dredged of material per day. She was placed out of service in 1973 because she consumed of heavy oil each day, which became prohibitively expensive during the
1973 OPEC oil embargo
The 1973 oil crisis or first oil crisis began in October 1973 when the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, proclaimed an oil embargo. The embargo was targeted at nations that had su ...
.
See also
*
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
{{NRHP in Dubuque, Iowa
National Historic Landmarks in Iowa
Dredgers
Museums in Dubuque, Iowa
National Register of Historic Places in Dubuque, Iowa
Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
Museum ships in Iowa
Steamboats of the Missouri River
1934 ships