Sprague (towboat)

The Sprague was a massive sternwheel towboat, considered the largest steam-powered towboat ever built. She was constructed in 1901-1902 by the Iowa Iron Works in Dubuque, Iowa, for the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal and Coke Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her primary purpose was to push coal barges on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, primarily the Ohio River, from Pittsburgh to New Orleans.

The Sprague measured 310 feet in length and 61 feet in width. She was powered by three steam engines that collectively produced 2,000 horsepower. Her large size and powerful engines allowed her to push tows of up to 56 barges, containing over 40,000 tons of coal. This made her a highly efficient and cost-effective method of transporting coal.

She was nicknamed "Big Mama" and became a legend on the riverways. The Sprague served reliably for decades, contributing significantly to the coal trade and the industrial development of the regions she served.

The Sprague was retired from active service in 1948. In 1974, she was designated a National Historic Landmark. She was initially preserved as a museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi. A fire damaged the vessel extensively in 2023, putting its future preservation in question. The Sprague remains a significant symbol of the steamboat era and the history of river transportation.