Postponed by the pandemic, the ship made its grand arrival Saturday morning.
With a blast of the ship's horn, the LST 325 began the trip down river to its new home and new visitor center on Riverside Drive near the Tropicana Casino.
As he watched the LST get underway, Deputy Mayor Steve Schaefer says he’s thinking about everything it took to get the ship to Evansville and keep it here.
“More than anywhere in the country, our citizens really value and want this piece of history as part of our progress moving forward.”
Schaefer says the city is looking at various options for use of the LST's former dock space at Marina Pointe. He says one use could be for river cruises to dock when they visit Evansville.
Just two years out of high school, Paige Johnson of Evansville is a deck hand and tour guide on the LST. Johnson says she feels the history every time she steps aboard.
“Both my great grandmothers worked down here at the ship yard. So I have a long history of LST’s in my blood line.”
The voyage to its new home was supposed to take the LST past the bend in the river in downtown Evansville. However, the trip was shortened becuase one of the ship's engines was out of commission Saturday.
Officers decided the Ohio River currents were too strong to turn the LST on one engine. A tug was used to help turn the ship and help it ease into its new dock. The ship docked just after 11am CDT Saturday at the new location.
