Historical Research by Joyce Hohenadl, Treasurer of the Lake Elsinore Citizens Committee, whose hard work and persistence with the Riverside County Historical Commission ultimately led to the granting of the Princess's Historical Designation Number: #RIV-070. Thanks, Joyce!

The Princess was built by William Mueller, of Mueller Shipbuilding-Wilmington Transportation Co. Shipyard in 1923 and launched in 1924 in San Pedro, California.

Mr. William Wrigley, of the famous Wrigley family chewing gum empire, employed Mr. Mueller to build five boats after World War I. The Princess was one of the five Mr. Mueller built at that time. The other four were the Empress and Emperor, which are both gone, the Phoenix, which recently sank, and the Blanch W which is still a Flying Fish tour boat in Catalina.

Mr. Mueller constructed the wooden glass bottom boat, the Princess, an approximately 84 foot long, 93-ton side-wheeler equipped with underwater lights for night trips from Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island. It was a huge attraction on the island for 35 years.

Research has shown Eleanor Roosevelt, Hedda Hopper, J. Edgar Hoover, Ray Milland, Jimmy Stewart, George Raft and other famous people sailed on the Princess, as well as many who exchanged wedding vows, danced and partied on the vessel.

In 1959 the vessel was sold, with the proviso she never again be used as a glass bottom boat. The hull bottom was re-planked in the 1960's covering the "glass bottom" viewing wells and moved to Ports of Call Village in San Pedro. The Princess was converted to a Mississippi riverboat and featured"Delicious Cuisine" from the famed restaurant, Ports O'Call, Home of the S.S. Princess located at Pierpoint Landing, Port of Long Beach, Ca., owned by Southland Harbor Cruises. Many different cruises were offered such as moonlight dancing and Harbor Lights on the Floating Palace of the Pacific.

Southland Harbor Cruises, Inc. discontinued using the Princess in the mid 1990's. At that time, the Princess was moored at the stern of the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA and sat idle for four or five years.

On March 12, 1999 the Princess departed Pier C in Long Beach on her three week odyssey to Lake Elsinore. Eventually, the Princess was maneuvered into her new home in the Elsinore West Marina. Read more about the move from Long Beach to Lake Elsinore on our page dedicated to "The Move".

The vessel is currently afloat on the lake at 18010 Grand Ave., Lake Elsinore, CA and is now known officially as the ELSINORE PRINCESS.