In April 1916 the riverboat Nymphea was built for JJ Bukolt by his employees in his Automatic Cradle Factory. It was the largest pleasure boat on the river at the time in the area, could carry 80 passengers, had a kitchen and a toilet on board. It is often referred to as Bukolt’s yacht in the papers.
Official Gala Launch, July 3rd 1916 (pictured): Several hundred people attended the event. The boat was hauled by horse and cart to the river at the end of Main Street and launched into the Wisconsin River.
July 15, 1916: The boat caught fire 2 weeks after maiden voyage causing significant damage, but not sinking the boat. The fire was blamed on oily rags tucked under the rear deck at the back of the engine that apparently had spontaneously combusted. The cabin was the most damaged, but the hull was sound. The fire was reported in numerous Wisconsin Newspapers. The watercraft was immediately cleaned up and put back to work with in two days. Papers mention that is was chartered for a picnic the next day, it unlikely made that date since they didn’t have it back in the water until Sunday. That day it is said the boat ferried 500 people to an island event.
In the fall of 1916 The Nymphea was pulled in to be dismantled and rebuilt of over the winter at Bukolt’s factory.
Summer of 1917: Bukolt’s riverboat was rebuilt with a Ford Model T engine. The ship was enlarged and specialties were added. A player piano was brought on board and a 12 foot deck with a canopy was added at the stern giving the Nymphea a classic riverboat appearance. Once again the boat was launched into the Wisconsin River.
The Nymhea was used as transportation for many picnics and events that were held on Martin’s Island and at Waterworks Park. There are numerous mentions of it’s use in the newspapers. It seems Bukolt was generous with his boat and often lent it for use to ferry riders to the islands.
In July 1917, a 9 boy drowned while waiting for the Nymphea at the dock at the end of Main Street. He was playing with friends, slipped, and fell into the water. None of them could swim and efforts made to save the boy were too late. It is the only known death associated with the boat while it was still on the water.
In November of 1919 The Nymphea almost went over the Consolidated dam but was luckily saved by paper mill employees when they shut the damn gates slowing the water. It is said that the boat hovered over the edge of the water fall and was pulled to safety with the use of a pole. It This is one of the last articles mentioning the boat.
The Nymphea seems to disappears from the papers after the fall of 1923 with no mention of it being permanently docked or why. John J Bukolt died in 1929. But that is not where the story of the legendary riverboat ends.
Follow the story with the second part of the time line here
Historic Stevens Point 