[1][2] In 1980, it was completely destroyed after being dropped by a crane attempting to the lift the riverboat into the dry dock area.

The Admiral Joe Fowler riverboat was built at the Tampa Ship Repair & Dry Dock Inc. in Tampa, Florida, the same place where the Walt Disney World Railroad's four steam locomotives were refurbished.

[3] The riverboat entered service a day after the Magic Kingdom park opened on October 1, 1971.

[2] On May 20, 1973, a second riverboat named the Richard F. Irvine, which would later be renamed as the Liberty Belle in 1996, entered service.

[2] But in late 1980, the Admiral Joe Fowler riverboat was accidentally dropped from a crane while being lifted into the dry dock area for a routine overhaul, and its hull was completely destroyed beyond repair.