Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On July 14, 2019, Captain Ernie Mims passed away. Mims, the beloved host of WOC-TV children’s program Cap’n Ernie’s Show Boat from 1964 to 1974, endeared himself to a generation of children spread across eastern Iowa.
A native of Nashua, New Hampshire, Mims served as a trumpet player in the United States Air Force Band. He decided to pursue a career in broadcasting and got his first job at WQUB radio in Galesburg, Illinois. Soon after, Mims moved across the Mississippi River to take a job at WOC-TV Davenport. Mims hosted a Sunday cartoon program where he played Uncle Ernie, the television station’s janitor.
The “Show Boat” program predated Mims. Cap’n Ken Wagner, Cap’n Verne Gielow, and Cap’n Don Warren all steered the Dixie Belle before Mims took over in 1964. Similarly to other local television programs of the era, Cap’n Earnie’s Show Boat featured cartoons and short segments featuring Mims and a cast of characters. The puppet Sidney, voiced and animated by Craig Frogley, stood out as one of the show’s most notable companions of Cap’n Ernie.
Children also played a part in the show. The show featured a live audience who would win prizes from Cap’n Earnie’s Treasure Chest. By the time the Dixie Belle took the final sail in 1974, the various iterations of the show cataloged over 2,600 live episodes. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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