{image1}A flotilla of steamboats, a steam locomotive driven train and dozens of bikers start up the Mississippi River this weekend in Grand Excursion 2004.
The extravaganza started in the Quad Cities on Friday, will start heading north on Sunday and will end on July 5 when the steamboats dock in Saint Paul. Prairie du Chien and La Crosse are major Wisconsin stops on the Excursion, and one of the steamboats could stop in Cassville.
One hundred fifty years ago, an entourage of about 1,200 of the most influential business and political people in the country took a Grand Excursion by train and paddlewheels of the Mississippi River to see what business opportunities the frontier offered.
The flotilla was tied to the completion of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad line to the Mississippi, the first such line to extend from the East Coast to the river.
According to The Galena Jeffersonian, the Excursion was held because of the "desire to make a thousand more or less men of capital and influence acquainted with the enchanting beauty, boundless resources and the unexampled prosperity of the Great West."
It worked, as millions of dollars of capital and thousands of people flocked to what now is called the Midwest. In fact, it worked almost too well, as development hurt the natural environment of the Mississippi.
The 2004 Excursion is emphasizing the marriage of business and the environment, and has concentrated heavily on education with special programs and curriculum for schools up and down the river.
A theme of the event is for communities to "reconnect with the river and each other." More than 50 communities up and down the river will participate in the Excursion in one form.
"It's very exciting," said Sharon Cuchna, executive director of the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce. "We have wonderful entertainment ready for the travelers here and want to take this as an opportunity to showcase our community and tell people to return to see more."
The Excursion comes to Prairie on Tuesday, June 29, and will depart the following day and travel to La Crosse.
Tom Tourville, executive director of the Greater La Crosse Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the cooperation among the communities up and down the river has been impressive.
"In La Crosse, we've had a 25-person committee for two years planning this," he said. "That's a lot of work for what amounts to a day and a half event. But, we feel it is a great opportunity to showcase our community and the river to others, and frankly to ourselves -- those who live in the region -- too. I think communities along the river have come together to work on this."
A highlight of the Excursion in La Crosse will be a paddlewheel race between Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle at 5 p.m. on June 30.
"An important outcome of Grand Excursion has been the spirit of cooperation and partnerships that have been forged among Mississippi River states and communities," said Pawlenty, who will be on the Harriet Bishop. "I look forward to a little healthy competition on the river."
Doyle said, "I look forward to this challenge with Gov. Pawlenty and will be proud to be on board the La Crosse Queen, one of our finest vessels."
The winner will receive a broom, a traditional trophy for steamboat races.
The Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen, Harriet Bishop, Anson Northrup, Julia Belle Swain, Spirit of Peoria and Celebration Belle are included in what will be the biggest flotilla of steamboat paddlewheels on the river since 1854. A variety of cruises has been offered on these boats, as well as special packages for the trains.
Because of high water in Hannibal, Mo., the Mississippi Queen will join the flotilla a little late. The boat, one of the biggest on the river, could not get under one of the bridges. Organizers of the Excursion said high water will not pose a problem for other boats.
The train will run along the Mississippi in conjunction with the boats. The bikers will leave Quad Cities on Sunday in what will be a 400-mile tour along the river.
The Grand Excursion Web site is www.grandexcursion.com.
