Souder Visits Dixie As Webster Landmark Seeks Historic Status
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By John DeGroff-
Buildings, monuments, bridges, and battlefields come to mind right away. These are all good examples to be sure, but there is one often overlooked category: historical maritime "landmarks." The Dixie Boat in North Webster, on Webster Lake, is such a piece of history that many feel is deserving of historic site status.[[In-content Ad]]On Friday, Congressman Mark Souder and Marsh Davis of the Historic Landmark Foundation of Indiana met with Dixie Boat owners Dan and Bo Thystrup, along with other concerned local citizens, for a brief tour of the boat and to discuss possible scenarios concerning the status of the vessel.
The future of the Dixie Boat could actually be jeopardized because of problems cited by the Department of Natural Resources back in May 2006. The DNR is in charge of regulating inland water craft, and told the Dixie Boat owners that after the 2006 inspection, the vessel would no longer be approved for service.
"They have been giving us a harder and harder time the last two years," said Dan Thystrup. "It was decided that the electric system on The Dixie had to be marine approved instead of commercially approved. They decided that the fuel tanks were not up to code any more. The electric motor that's running the paddle wheel is not up to code. These are the main things."
Because of these concerns, Thystrup has taken the step of donating The Dixie to a not-for-profit corporation, called appropriately, The Dixie.
"What happens then, is that we can apply for government grants," said Thystrup. "If someone else decides to donate money to The Dixie, it's tax deductible. We have a board of directors, and we also have an advisory board."
Thystrup also said the legal process needed for 501 (c) (3) status was started last fall, and the organization has already had several meetings. They have applied for historical landmark status.
The Dixie Boat itself is definitely a landmark to the community of North Webster. The current Dixie was commissioned in 1929, which replaced a 1914 craft. This was the first Dixie, which itself replaced a 30-foot sternwheeler called "City Of Webster," built in 1908.
Throughout its history, the boat in all its variations served the Webster Lake area by providing many different services. It was used to deliver mail, groceries, and ferried lumber and other building supplies around the lake. It was a floating blacksmith shop, and even contained a small grocery store on board at one time.
Over the years, certain traditions grew up between The Dixie and the residents of Webster Lake. Blowing the whistle at anyone who waved is one tradition. At night, blinking The Dixie's lights, and residents blinking their house lights in return, is another tradition.
It's the hope of the Thystrup family that these traditions will continue. The family is originally from Denmark, and Dan Thystrup was the first of the brothers to come to the U.S. 20 years ago. The brothers are the fourth generation of the family to be in the amusement park business. They purchased the old Adventure Land Amusement Park, and in 1992 became the owners of The Dixie. The amusement park is gone, but Thystrup is now owner of Adventureglass, a manufacturer of paddle boats.
Dan Thystrup, his wife Pia and his sons, and Bo and his wife Mona, all share in the duties of running The Dixie Boat.
Souder and Davis of the Historic Landmark Foundation spent time touring the boat and learning a more detailed background of the vessel and how important it is to the community. Although no official announcement was made during the meeting regarding specific actions to be taken, Davis was optimistic that there could be some short-term funding available. Help also was offered to aid The Dixie in navigating the procedures necessary to achieving historical site status. Davis also mentioned that since Indiana has few maritime historic landmarks, it could take some time to accomplish this, but the goal is not to be considered unrealistic. Both Souder and Davis agreed to help the organization as much as possible to enable The Dixie Boat to become a historic landmark.
"The Dixie is Webster," said Thystrup. "Everybody around here has memories about it. One of the most touching stories, that I think, deals with an older lady who was on here last year with her daughter. She told us this was her first time on The Dixie. She and her siblings lived close by on a farm during the Depression. They were often sitting on the shoreline looking at The Dixie, but because of the Depression, there was no money to come on the boat. They were often dreaming about coming on The Dixie. The family moved away, but eventually she moved back. I'm guessing that she's in her 80s because she was old and frail. She almost had tears in her eyes when she told me the story.
"Things like that make us understand that we have a responsibility to keep The Dixie going. North Webster is a very neat town. People here are very friendly. When people heard we were having trouble, people were saying 'I want The Dixie' to stay. What can I do?' That's the whole spirit of this town."
For more information, visit online at www.dixieboat.com
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Buildings, monuments, bridges, and battlefields come to mind right away. These are all good examples to be sure, but there is one often overlooked category: historical maritime "landmarks." The Dixie Boat in North Webster, on Webster Lake, is such a piece of history that many feel is deserving of historic site status.[[In-content Ad]]On Friday, Congressman Mark Souder and Marsh Davis of the Historic Landmark Foundation of Indiana met with Dixie Boat owners Dan and Bo Thystrup, along with other concerned local citizens, for a brief tour of the boat and to discuss possible scenarios concerning the status of the vessel.
The future of the Dixie Boat could actually be jeopardized because of problems cited by the Department of Natural Resources back in May 2006. The DNR is in charge of regulating inland water craft, and told the Dixie Boat owners that after the 2006 inspection, the vessel would no longer be approved for service.
"They have been giving us a harder and harder time the last two years," said Dan Thystrup. "It was decided that the electric system on The Dixie had to be marine approved instead of commercially approved. They decided that the fuel tanks were not up to code any more. The electric motor that's running the paddle wheel is not up to code. These are the main things."
Because of these concerns, Thystrup has taken the step of donating The Dixie to a not-for-profit corporation, called appropriately, The Dixie.
"What happens then, is that we can apply for government grants," said Thystrup. "If someone else decides to donate money to The Dixie, it's tax deductible. We have a board of directors, and we also have an advisory board."
Thystrup also said the legal process needed for 501 (c) (3) status was started last fall, and the organization has already had several meetings. They have applied for historical landmark status.
The Dixie Boat itself is definitely a landmark to the community of North Webster. The current Dixie was commissioned in 1929, which replaced a 1914 craft. This was the first Dixie, which itself replaced a 30-foot sternwheeler called "City Of Webster," built in 1908.
Throughout its history, the boat in all its variations served the Webster Lake area by providing many different services. It was used to deliver mail, groceries, and ferried lumber and other building supplies around the lake. It was a floating blacksmith shop, and even contained a small grocery store on board at one time.
Over the years, certain traditions grew up between The Dixie and the residents of Webster Lake. Blowing the whistle at anyone who waved is one tradition. At night, blinking The Dixie's lights, and residents blinking their house lights in return, is another tradition.
It's the hope of the Thystrup family that these traditions will continue. The family is originally from Denmark, and Dan Thystrup was the first of the brothers to come to the U.S. 20 years ago. The brothers are the fourth generation of the family to be in the amusement park business. They purchased the old Adventure Land Amusement Park, and in 1992 became the owners of The Dixie. The amusement park is gone, but Thystrup is now owner of Adventureglass, a manufacturer of paddle boats.
Dan Thystrup, his wife Pia and his sons, and Bo and his wife Mona, all share in the duties of running The Dixie Boat.
Souder and Davis of the Historic Landmark Foundation spent time touring the boat and learning a more detailed background of the vessel and how important it is to the community. Although no official announcement was made during the meeting regarding specific actions to be taken, Davis was optimistic that there could be some short-term funding available. Help also was offered to aid The Dixie in navigating the procedures necessary to achieving historical site status. Davis also mentioned that since Indiana has few maritime historic landmarks, it could take some time to accomplish this, but the goal is not to be considered unrealistic. Both Souder and Davis agreed to help the organization as much as possible to enable The Dixie Boat to become a historic landmark.
"The Dixie is Webster," said Thystrup. "Everybody around here has memories about it. One of the most touching stories, that I think, deals with an older lady who was on here last year with her daughter. She told us this was her first time on The Dixie. She and her siblings lived close by on a farm during the Depression. They were often sitting on the shoreline looking at The Dixie, but because of the Depression, there was no money to come on the boat. They were often dreaming about coming on The Dixie. The family moved away, but eventually she moved back. I'm guessing that she's in her 80s because she was old and frail. She almost had tears in her eyes when she told me the story.
"Things like that make us understand that we have a responsibility to keep The Dixie going. North Webster is a very neat town. People here are very friendly. When people heard we were having trouble, people were saying 'I want The Dixie' to stay. What can I do?' That's the whole spirit of this town."
For more information, visit online at www.dixieboat.com
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