Pekin in Tazewell County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Steamboat Columbia Disaster

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 6, 2024

1. The Steamboat Columbia Disaster Marker

Inscription. On July 5, 1918, the steamboat Columbia sank upstream from this spot near what was then Wesley City. What began as one of the season's premier social events ended in tragedy.

The Pekin South Side Social Club sponsored the ornate sternwheeler's ill-fated voyage. Beginning in Kingston Mines, some 500 passengers boarded it for a trip to Al Fresco Amusement Park in Peoria. On the return trip, as festivities were in full swing, a hole was torn in the Columbia's hull and it sank. The deceased were brought to this riverfront for identification. Of the 87 who died, 57 were from Pekin.

Erected 2003 by Tazewell County Historical Places Society and the Illinois Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Illinois State Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 5, 1918.

Location. 40° 34.321′ N, 89° 39.141′ W. Marker is in Pekin, Illinois, in Tazewell County. It is on North Front Street north of Court Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pekin IL 61554, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Illinois River Valley

and in Greater Peoria.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Hinners Organ Company (about 400 feet away,

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measured in a direct line); Union League of America (approx. ¼ mile away); 29th United States Colored Infantry (approx. 0.3 miles away); Abraham Lincoln - Eighth Judicial District (approx. 0.3 miles away); Pvt. William Henry Costley (approx. 0.4 miles away); Tazewell County Remembers (approx. 0.4 miles away); Nance Legins-Costley (approx. 0.4 miles away); Fort Crevecœur (approx. 5.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pekin.

Also see . . .
1. The Sinking of the Columbia. On what was supposed to be a routine “Moonlight Excursion” to Alfresco Park, a popular amusement destination along the Illinois River in Peoria, something went terribly wrong. (WTVP-TV, uploaded Jan. 2, 2019) (Submitted on August 2, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Wreck of the Steamer Columbia. Reprint of newspaper story on the disaster, as well as the full passenger manifest from the ill-fated voyage. The list notes who survived and who did not, and where they are buried. (Tazewell County, Illinois Genealogy Trails)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 6, 2024

2. The Steamboat Columbia Disaster Marker

(Submitted on August 2, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

The <i>Columbia</i> image. Click for full size.

Unknown; via Mr. Hall's American Histry Class blog (Public Domain), July 1918

3. The Columbia

The steamer sits submerged in the Illinois River after striking something underwater that gashed its hull.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 341 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 2, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.