Another season has begun for the Agra family as they celebrate their 87th year on the Chicago River.
"It was started by my great great grandfather in 1935," said Tim Agra, Vice President of Chicago's First Lady Cruises.
Captain Tim Agra is the fourth generation operating First Lady Cruises and Mercury's Skyline Cruiselines.
"He was originally out of Navy Pier doing speed boat rides during the Great Depression." he recalled.
"Soon the boats moved to to the Chicago River in the 1940's and to its current location at Michigan and Wacker. It's really grown since then."
Tim and his brother Bob are now taking the reigns of the family business.
"Growing up, the family business was a very important part of our lives. As soon as I was able to start work at 15, I worked summers on the boat and I absolutely loved it." Agra said
Tim's father, Captain Bob Agra Jr. took the helm of Mercury, Chicago’s Skyline Cruiseline in 1976 at the age of 18 following the death of his father, Captain Bob Agra Sr. Mercury Cruises, which began as a single speedboat operation, was founded by Portuguese immigrant Arthur Agra and his wife Myrtle in the 1930s.
In 1991, Captain Bob and Holly founded Mercury’s sister company Chicago’s First Lady Cruises, which has been home to the official Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise for the past 29 years.
"I was always given the choice to continue the family business. I went to college but me and my brother decided to continue this legacy. My parents are very proud of the work they've done and our growth and development and our future plans." he smiled. "Will there be a fifth generation?"
"It's possible as my wife and I are expecting." he smiled.
After a rough 2 years during the pandemic, Agra said they are ready for a full summer.
"The last couple of years have been challenging. We've been focuses on surviving and getting through two tough years in our family history," said Agra.
Chicago's First Lady Cruises partner with the Chicago Architecture Center. and the river tours are consistently ranked as one of the most popular attractions in the world.
"From the river, you can get an amazing view of the buildings. The skyline is constantly changing. The St. Regis building on Wacker is going to be completed this year. If you look at Wolf Point, it used to be a parking lot. The river is always changing and there's always something new to see," Agra said.
After a long and cold Chicago winter, Agra said they love being the city's unofficial sign of warmer weather to come.
"It's been a passion for our family for 86 years. Hopefully for 86 more." he said.
The Agra's operate nine boats docked along the south side of the river along the Riverwalk and employ more than 120 people each summer. They see about 3 million passengers a year.
The boats cruise April through November. Chicago’s First Lady Cruises also offers private charter experiences for weddings, meetings, corporate and social events, and can accommodate groups between two to 250 passengers.
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