"M.E. Norman" steamboat, 1925

Creators

Preview

Source Collection

Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper morgue, Special Collections Department, University of Memphis Libraries

Identifier

sc.0475.0235a_011.002

Description

The "M.E. Norman" was a stern wheel steamboat built in 1924. On May 8, 1925, during a sightseeing tour on the Mississippi River just south of Memphis, the "Norman" capsized and sank rapidly. Tom Lee, a 39-year-old African American river worker, was returning to shore in a 28-foot motorboat, Zev, when he saw the boat sinking. Working throughout the night Lee was able to rescue 32 passengers from the river. Unfortunately, 23 passengers and crew drowned. The inscription "May 1/26" is a mistake as the "Norman" wreckage was never recovered from the river.

Date Created

6-28-2021

Date

1920s

Recommended Citation

""M.E. Norman" steamboat, 1925" (2021). Memphis. 22.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/speccoll-mss-mpressscimitar5/22