One of Marietta's historic landmarks, the sternwheeler W.P. Snyder, will be leaving town Friday, weather permitting. It's due back in eight months with a new lease on life.

So, unlike the departure of another river-bound Marietta landmark - the showboat Becky Thatcher - this is a plus for the Marietta area that raises anticipation for the future. That's because the Snyder is due back at its mooring on the Muskingum River at the Ohio River Museum with a brand-new hull.

We wish the Snyder well on its 146-mile voyage to the McGinnis Inc., repair yard at South Point. Local officials are hopeful the $1.5 million project will be completed earlier than anticipated and the Snyder will be back in time for many of the school field trips next spring. Marietta museums draw hundreds of children to learn about river history and this area's role during the formative years for Ohio and this region of the United States. For sure, the Snyder's departure will leave a void for museum visitors. Thankfully, the Snyder's absence will be temporary.

Money for the project appropriately comes from the Save America's Treasures program of the National Park Service as well as the 91-year-old Snyder has been a fixture here since it arrived in 1955. Although it has been more than 50 years since the boat moved under its own power, it still is historic because it is the last remaining steam-powered sternwheel towboat in existence.

Once completed, officials say the new hull should last well beyond our lifetime. Without a new hull, there were fears the boat would sink.

Once back in Marietta it is hoped that the repaired Snyder will continue to provide the museum a major attraction. The Friends of the Museum group that operates the River and Campus Martius museums in Marietta are hoping to build attendance at the local sites.

So it is with great anticipation that we await the Snyder's return to the area next summer and hope tourists take note that what's new in Marietta is a really a bit of the past.