The venerable tourist attraction was removed from service after having made 10 trips daily since 1922 between Ste. Genevieve and Kellokk, Ill.

     The Missouri Pacific Railroad, owner of the subsidiary Missouri-Illinois Railroad, which owns the 266-foot steel-hulled transfer steamer, said Monday the Interstate Commerce Commission has approved abandonment of the service.

     Prime reason for the Ste. Genevieve's demise is her aged condition. It would cost too much to repair her.

     Instead of ferrying trains, the railroad will use a Frisco connection to a railroad bridge at Illmo, about 75 miles south of Ste. Genevieve. Freight will cross the bridge to Clinton, Ill., where it will then use Missouri-Illinois Railroad tracks.

     The ferry was bought in 1922 by the Missouri-Illinois Railway Company, and its capacity was 18 cars. The present captain is Harry Greishaber of Ste. Genevieve, and the ferry has a 13-man crew. During the summer months, the ferry had an average of 200 cars per day.

     The first spike for the railroad track to the ferry was driven on July 10, 1901, at Little Rock, or Thomure, Mo., as it is now listed. Coming on up the line, a trestle was built near Weingarten, called the Rough Creek Trestle, where the first train passed over it on November 29, 1902. The first carload of coal was delivered from Illinois across the river by ferry, and to the Lead Belt, in 1903, and the first passenger train from Ste. Genevieve to Bismarck, August 17, 1903.

     The first engine to cross on the ferry was No. 5, in 1902. Engine No. 4 was the first passenger engine to cross on the ferry. It was called the Kellogg Ferry. Later the ferry was torn up in an ice jam, and the ferry which is now discontinued was called the Ste. Genevieve Ferry.

     After the railroad went bankrupt following World War I, the Southern Missouri was sold to the Illinois-Southern Co., and it was reorganized as the Missouri-Illinois in 1921, and began new ferry operation in 1922.

     Earlier, the boat pulled barges, but the ferry now being discontinued hauled cars right on the boat.

     According to reliable information the discontinuance of the ferry will not effect railroad crewmen. The crews will work between Bismarck and Ste. Genevieve, from Ste. Genevieve to Illmo and Illmo to Sparta over the tracks mentioned.