History of the Caldwell Belle
Mohawk Maiden Cruises LLC began in 2013 with the purchase of the authentic sternwheel paddleboat Caldwell Belle. Launched originally in 1973 in West Bend, Wisconsin, under the name City of West Bend, the Belle was built by John Louck and the L&M Packet Company as a small reproduction of an Ohio River packet boat from the 1890s.
In 1977 she was purchased by Captain Gene Lister of Jewel City Excursions, taken to Huntingon, WV, and renamed the Camden Queen. She began operating out of the Camden Amusement Park in 1978, giving rides as a 60-passenger boat.
In April 1992, Captain Lister moved the Queen from Huntington to Madison, Indiana, where she ran excursions from a floating restaurant. In July 1992, he sold the boat to a tour boat operator in Columbia, Louisiana, in the Caldwell Parrish, where she was renamed the Caldwell Belle, with the objective of offering dinner cruises. Unfortunately, one of the investors passed away, and that vision never came to fruition.
The Belle fell into disuse, and when her next owner, Captain Bob Foster of Champlain Canal Tour Boats, found her, she was covered in kudzu, an extremely invasive vine found in the South. But he had his trusty machete and hacked his way aboard. He tinkered with the engine, got her running, and liked what he saw. So he took her apart, put her on two semi-trucks, and shipped her to Scarano’s Shipyard in Albany, NY to be retrofitted to fit under the bridges of the Champlain Canal.
Captain Bob ran her from Lock C5 in Schuylerville for about a dozen years, offering rides to the public. Since that time, the Caldwell Belle has continued to travel the Champlain Canal under the stewardship of Captain Marla Hodge, Captain Maria Saavedra and First Mate José Hodge-Saavedra of Mohawk Maiden Cruises.
The Caldwell Belle is currently for sale, as the family has decided to concentrate on tours of the Canal aboard their two pontoon boats, but she is still available on a limited basis for private cruises for up to six passengers and dockside events for larger groups. Click the "Contact Us" button below for more information about chartering the Belle.
Have you ever thought about purchasing an authentic sternwheel paddleboat? Click the button below for more info on how to make your dream come true!