The Belle of Minnetonka and the City of Saint Louis were the two largest steam ships in Lake Minnetonka history. The Belle, 300 feet long, had originally been the Phil Sheridan in service on the Ohio River before it was rebuilt, renamed, and launched on Lake Minnetonka during the summer of 1882. It had a capacity of 2,500 people, often carried nearly 3,000, and seated 250 for dinner. Captain "Cap" John Ropstol Johnson purchased the Belle from James J. Hill in the late 1800s and served as its captain for most of its years in service. The City of Saint Louis, 160 feet long and known as the "City," was built in Jefferson, Indiana, then disassembled and shipped to Wayzata, where its owner, W. D. Washburn, had it reassembled and launched in 1881. The City had a capacity of 1,000 passengers and was the first inland vessel to have electric lights. It was later purchased by Captain Johnson of the Lake Minnetonka Navigation Company. In 1897 the Belle was disassembled and its machinery was put to use in the Yukon in 1898, while the City was modified into a dredge boat that Cap Johnson used in his dredging business.