June 21, 1841 – At the National Hotel, Iowa City’s elite gather for a grand dinner celebrating Captain Dan and his steamboat Ripple – the first steamboat arrival in Johnson County.

During the early summer of 1841, the residents of Iowa City had the thrill of their lives when Captain Dan and his steamboat Ripple came chugging up the Iowa River, delivering a group of explorers and tourists to Iowa’s new Territorial capital. On the evening on June 21, 1841, at the National Hotel, the city’s elite gathered for a grand dinner celebrating this whole new era in transportation – with the glimmering hope that steamboats would now give Iowans a reliable way of interacting with the rest of the civilized world. Read all the details and join the fun here.

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