Jordan Gerard/Winonan

Chilly autumn weather did not stop Winona residents from attending Winona County Historical Society’s History on the River Cruise.

Thursday, Oct. 1 was the historical society’s last cruise of the year.

While the topic of this cruise was not mainly historic, attendees were provided with poetry that highlighted life on the Mississippi River.

Winona State University’s Cal Fremling Interpretive Center and Floating Classroom launched from Levee Park with about 25 people aboard that night, including two local poets Emilio DeGrazia and Ken McCullough.

DeGrazia started the night with excerpts from Mark Twain’s, “Life on the Mississippi.” He read several fiction passages where Twain wrote about towns on the upper part of the river, such as La Crosse, Wis. and Winona. Twain’s memoir recounts his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before and after the Civil War.

“I love the river, and I love poetry,” DeGrazia said. “Students sometimes take the nearby river for granted, but it’s the world’s greatest body of water. And it’s important. Let it be without ruining it.”

McCullough read “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes. In the poem, the speaker says he has known rivers, such as the Euphrates, Congo, Nile and Mississippi. These rivers are very old and the speaker says his soul “has grown deep like the rivers.”

“It was fun reading stuff about the river while you’re on the river,” McCullough said. “It inspires you to start thinking about what you should be writing.”

He also sang  “Ol’ Man River” from the 1936 musical “Show Boat,” and the audience joined in.

“It’s a really great opportunity to be on the river,” McCullough said. “I thought it was wonderful.”

Both poets were asked by Winona Mayor Mark Peterson to read poetry and literature on the cruise. They coordinated the selections to relate to the river, DeGrazia said.

Peterson said the cruises have been “very successful” this summer.

“It’s a wonderful way to provide programming, and it’s a good way to get people on the river, especially with the open deck,” Peterson said. “It’s a great partnership between WSU and the city.”

Full capacity has been achieved on nearly every cruise this summer, which usually took place on Thursdays, totaling about 16 cruises, Peterson said.

The cruises featured topics about Winona history, the river, arts and entertainment, environment and more.

“It’s something different and always fun,” he said. “We’ve had different guest speakers on each cruise. Anyone from landscape artists to retired steamboat captains to folk singers to U.S. Fish and Wildlife.”

The trip was a fairly special outing for Roger Carlson who knew the late Winona State professor emeritus of biology Dr. Calvin Fremling, for whom the boat is named.

“He was the first person I met at WSU in 1968,” Carlson said. Carlson is a retired Winona State geography professor.

“I knew him very well,” Carlson said.

Carlson said it was the first time he had been on the boat. His friend Lenny Hinrichs came along for the ride because he loves the river, he said.

“The cruise was very interesting,” Carlson said.

The summer schedule included a special trip to the historic Bunnell House in Homer, Minn. The Cal Fremling dropped the passengers off in Homer, where the trolley then took them up to the house, which they toured, Peterson said.

“The cruises will continue next year,” Peterson said. “We have some ideas to get more families involved.”

Captain Rudy Beshensky, along with two student assistants, piloted the Cal Fremling towards the 5A lock and dam near Fountain City, Wis. and back again. Along the way, many attendees pointed out eagles perched in the trees along the river.

Rollingstone resident Cheri Weaver was on the cruise while visiting with her aunt Betty. Weaver said she enjoyed the river, poetry and scenery.

“It’s always good to see nature. It added a special touch to the trip, and it’s something you can’t predict, when it happens, it’s special,” Weaver said. “We have very talented people in Winona. It was a good way to share their talents.”

Weaver said she has been on a few other cruises, and “they all have been really enjoyable.”

She also mentioned Rollingstone and other area educators had been invited on a cruise to consider this as a field trip for their students. Rollingstone’s K-4 students had that opportunity, she said.

Winona State’ public relations professor Muriel Scott also attended the cruise and said she enjoyed it.

“It was interesting to hear the connection between literature and the river,” Scott said. “It was a new perspective and very interesting. I am glad I came.”