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One of the worst disasters in the history of United States inland navigation occurred at midnight, Friday, July 5, 1918 when the excursion steamboat Columbia, returning to Pekin from an excursion in Peoria, struck a sandbar and sank into the Illinois River near Wesley City (present-day Creve Coeur) with 496 passengers (mostly from Pekin).
Eighty-seven passengers, mostly women and children, drowned in the submerged wreckage. The rest lived to tell their stories of horror, bravery, and survival.
After extensive research using the society’s collection and other sources, TCGHS member Ken Zurski has written a gripping account entitled The Wreck of the Columbia – A Broken Boat, a Town’s Sorrow & the End of the Steamboat Era on the Illinois River – documenting the true story of the worst maritime accident in the history of the Illinois River.
Clicking the “Buy from Amazon” button above will take you directly to Amazon to make your purchase. Amazon will donate a small percentage of your purchase to TCGHS.
As of September, 2017, the print version was $16.95 and the Kindle version was $6.95 – both subject to change!
