Jordan May, affiliate of the Southern Belle Riverboat here in town, sent in this hour and 26 minute boat show earlier in the month. Jordan has assisted the archive in the past with identifying members of the original Riverboat Ramblers, also sharing stories and information when possible. With Jordan’s assistance, we were able to get into contact with Vince Vita who was head captain of the Southern Belle and GM from 1994-2009. Vince & Jordan have given us the correct permissions to host this video on the archive, making this piece of local history available to all. The video is available on YouTube and the file may be shared upon request.
Right before the 13 minute mark in the video (12:51) the Riverboat Ramblers appear in the footage performing for several minutes, making this the only video footage of the group currently available to the public. As the ensemble plays, the camera pans to the Hunter Museum & Market Street Bridge in town, the musician trio is playing as the riverboat chugs its way through the rippling waters. The Ramblers appear again at the 27 minute mark (and 40 min. mark) for another few moments, the day was a special occasion for a riverboat show and race. Several other riverboats make their way through the Tennessee River as the video rolls.
55 minutes and 23 seconds in, the video shifts to a news package highlighting a visit the handicap children of Brainerd and Rivermont schools took to see the riverboat, a trip that was funded by two anonymous donors. This segues into footage of the Chattanooga Choo Choo, a dive into local history, and more with a local episode of Side By Side diving into the topics. The Side By Side (Nashville News) news show starred Chris & Linda Lewis, this specific episode featured Casey & Liz Anderson as special guests. This was recorded from live television and features various commercials from the late 80’s. The news packages goes into the history of Chattanooga, how the city acquired its name, and details the importance of the area and the railroad/ water-vessel history in Chattanooga. The video may be viewed on YouTube in its entirety, go give it a watch to see for yourself!
