KEHL, Robert

1999 photograph of Bob and Ruth Kehl courtesy of Bob Reding

KEHL, Robert (Dubuque, IA,- ). Entrepreneur. Named, with his wife Ruth, as the 1984 National Small Business Persons of the Year, Kehl operated a popular river cruise and cruise/dinner operation. His business was a primary reason for the development of Dubuque as a tourist center of the Midwest.

Prime Rib Night became a tremendous success and the basis for more business expansion. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

Kehl, listed in city directories as being a salesman and driver for TRAUSCH BAKING COMPANY during most of the 1950s, began his food service business in Dubuque between 1952 and 1956 with Bob's Place, a 24-hour diner and gas station located on U.S. 52 north of 32nd Street.

Salt and pepper shaker

In October 1960, Kehl and his wife Ruth, purchased Tony's Cafe from Tony Helling. In 1967 this was renamed ROBERTS SMORGASTABLE. With his wife, he also ran a catering business for an excursion boat named the JULIE N. DUBUQUE. When Art Bull, the owner of the boat, decided to move his operation south of Dubuque, Kehl used savings to purchase a l50-passenger paddle-wheeler which was renamed the River Rogue."

Kehl's boat used the Hawthorne Street ramp for one year before moving to the ICE HARBOR in 1974. With business booming, Kehl sold the River Rogue when its size limited its use to serving one hundred passengers for dinner.

Brewed for Roberts River Rides by Jos. S. Pickett & Son's Inc.

In 1977 the Kehls launched the Spirit of Dubuque, a $350,000, 377-passenger paddle-wheeler. Christened on May 14 by Governor Robert Ray, the boat was built in Morgan City, Louisiana, by the Scully Brothers Boat Builders. Using this boat, Kehl began offering his famous prime-rib dinner cruises once each week. By 1979 the dinners were served nightly; it was apparent that a larger boat was needed.

The growth of business led the Kehls to spruce up the Ice Harbor and convert it from a railroad and industrial center to a tourist mecca. Gravel for a parking lot was laid as the appearance of the area was improved with the planting of some trees and a general cleanup. The Kehls purchased the abandoned Burlington Northern freight house in 1978 and donated it to the DUBUQUE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. This building became the FRED W. WOODWARD RIVERBOAT MUSEUM in 1982. The same year the Kehls opened The Barge, a two-story combination office, gift shop, and lounge.

Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

In 1984 Kehl unveiled the Mississippi Belle, a $2 million, 800-passenger paddle wheeler built for daylong cruises. To give more time to the prosperous river business, Roberts Smorgastable was closed.

In 1986 with increasing numbers of passengers, Kehl bought a second 800-passenger boat, the Mississippi Belle II. Roberts River Rides then offered several cruise options including all-day trips between Dubuque and the Quad Cities (with a return trip by bus), all-day round trips between Dubuque and McGregor, half-day trips between Clinton and the Quad Cities, and 1.5 to 3.5 hour sightseeing trips around the Quad Cities and Dubuque areas. The original Mississippi Belle was renamed the Quad City Queen and was permanently docked in Bettendorf.

In 1988 Kehl began operating the West Virginia Belle between Huntington and South Charleston on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. During the same year the Quad City Queen, Mississippi Belle and the Spirit of Dubuque carried an estimated 226,000 riders.

With the passage of legislation permitting gambling boats on the Mississippi, Kehl unveiled the DUBUQUE CASINO BELLE, the grandest ship in his fleet and potentially the most profitable.

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Photo courtesy: Bob Reding