HISTORY OF LAKE ITASCA
TOURS
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 Founded in 1985 by Captain Thomas K. Coborn
and Mickey Coborn, Lake Itasca Tours has
made over 6,500 Naturalist Narrated boat
tours to the Headwaters of the Great Mississippi River.
The first vessel the "Chester Charles",
named after Captain Tom's Father, was a 1970
40' tour boat that held 55 passengers. In
1999, it was decided that the time had come
to expand the boat business. Leech Lake was
chosen for the expansion. In the fall of
1999, a 65' x 22' 40 ton cruise vessel was
purchased in Van Buren Arkansas. Because of
its height, width and weight, the Coborns
faced a very expensive challenge in
transporting it to Minnesota. The most
practical way was by water. Since the trip
would be over 1,500 miles and against a
strong current in the lower Mississippi, it
was deemed necessary to also purchase a 36'
push boat to assist in pushing the larger
vessel.
Captain Chris C. Coborn, Captain Thomas P.
Coborn, Captain Kelsey Coborn and their crew
set sail down the Arkansas River, through
the White River and then headed north up the
Mississippi River. The 1,500 mile excursion
from Arkansas to Red Wing Minnesota took
just over 30 days to complete. The adventure
included sleeping in tents on the top deck
of the boat and brought them through 42
locks.
Once in Red Wing Minnesota, a large crane
was used to lift both the passenger boat and
the tug boat out of the water onto heavy
haul oversized transports. Two Minnesota
Highway patrol units escorted the vessels to
Coborn's Itasca Ranch for reconstruction and
refitting.
A complete refit was accomplished in one
year. The boat was now ready to go into
service on Leech Lake in Walker Bay. A house
mover was used to transport the cruise boat
to Leech Lake. The cruise boat was first
docked on Shingobee Island for 3 years, then in Walker
City Park for 3 years.
In 2007, Thomas Coborn moved the boat to
Lake Itasca.
The 55 passenger "Chester Charles" was then
replaced with the 141 passenger "Chester
Charles II".
In the winter of 2008, Thomas K. and Mickey
Coborn sold the tour boat business to their
son, Captain Chris C. Coborn and his wife
Jeanie. Captain Tom will remain working on
the boat and the business for the
foreseeable future.
Our mission has remained the same since its
inception, to entertain and educate our
guests about the unique history of the
area's early inhabitants and its natural
history.
We are perhaps the only Tour Boat in our
State to be able to show our guests both our
State Bird, the common Loon, as well as our
National Bird, the Bald Eagle on most tours.
Many wild life photographers have been
aboard to take advantage of this unique
opportunity.
We invite you to come see Lake Itasca the
way Henry Rowe Schoolcraft did when he
discovered the source of the Mississippi
River on July 13, 1832. We look forward to
seeing you on board the "Chester Charles II".
Don't Miss the Boat!
Captain Chris C Coborn |
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