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RIVERVIEW'S SPEED BOATS

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Bob Reichardt, general manager in the late 40's and early 50's, conducted and participated in alcohol fueled hydro-plane races on the Riverview lagoon. They were very popular and Bob decided speed boat rides would be a great attraction and they were. The very first speed boats guests rode were 16’ Hafer Fireball Deluxe runabouts. These were replaced with 18’ Chris Craft Riviera runabouts, followed by 19’ Chris Craft Capri runabouts in the late 50’s. If you ever got to ride in these classic boats at Riverview, you are sure to remember the finale of the ride of racing through the bridge pilings

1952 Chris Craft

Two of these boats would circle the lagoon with passengers and create a scary climax by passing between the bridge pilings under the wooden entrance bridge . One of the more popular rides in the 40's and 50' when personal boat ownership was fairly uncommon for Iowans.

Boat launch

Picture of a Chris Craft taking off for a ride.

Boat ride

A Chris Craft about to take passengers under the bridge.

1960 ride boat

In the 1960's the two Chris Craft were replaced with only one boat as the novelty of speed boat rides was wearing off. No one can recall the make of this boat but we all recall it being set afire by arsonists in the middle of a August summer night around 1970. It was then replaced with a Jet boat..

Jet Ride boat

This type of jet boat (no propeller) created a new excitment when trying to rein it in on the small lake. This Riverview boat was also set mysteriously afire after only two seasons of operation and was not replaced.

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