It’s hard to imagine a time when the Chautauqua Belle wasn’t a fixture on the waters of Chautauqua Lake.

But that’s exactly what our reality would be if not for James Webster, the Rochester man who had the vision to bring a paddlewheel steamship to Chautauqua Lake in the early 1970s. Webster collaborated with Capt. Alan Bates, who designed the ship around the same time Bates designed the Natchez, another steamship still in use in New Orleans. For a time, Mayville was marketed as Steamship Village when the Chautauqua Belle was still in its relative infancy, and many still make their way to Mayville for cruises on the Chautauqua Belle five decades later to get a glimpse into how people navigated Chautauqua Lake in the age of the steamship in the early 1900s. Bates designed a beautiful ship, and Webster brought it to fruition.

But as we learned from the Sea Lion, a beautiful design and one man’s vision don’t guarantee a long-lasting history. And were it not for volunteers who kept the Belle afloat, it’s entirely possible the steamship would be a mere memory now. And, of course, there is the Stage family, who has a long history with the ship and whose third generation – Mat Stage – now owns and operates the Belle. In 2007, U.S. Steam Lines was formed by Captain Mathew Stage to purchase the Chautauqua Belle from the Sea Lion Project Ltd., which had put the steamboat up for scrap auction. Stage grew up on Chautauqua Lake with a passion for boats. He started working at a young age on Chautauqua Lake on public vessels such as the Celebration, Miss Rose, the Summer Wind and Frolic. At the age of 18 and with 10 years of experience in the tour boat industry, Stage formed U.S. Steam Lines and purchased the Chautauqua Belle. Stage’s father, Paul, and grandfather, Del, had long been involved in operating the Chautauqua Belle, and Paul Stage still serves as president of U.S. Steam Lines.

There are only four steamships left across the country, and we’re blessed to have one right here, steaming up and down Chautauqua Lake thanks to James Webster and, now, the Stage family. The waters haven’t always been smooth for the Chautauqua Belle, but we can’t imagine summers without hearing the steamship’s unmistakable whistle blowing or the sight of the Belle steaming up and down the lake. Given how close we can to losing her, the Belle’s 50th birthday is an event worth celebrating.