The Sergeant Floyd was named for Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to die on trek to the Pacific Northwest. It was a working boat used for towing, surveying and inspection work on inland waterways.

Built at the Howard Shipyards in Jefferson, Indiana in 1932, the Floyd served as a workhouse for the Missouri River Division of the Corps of Engineers. From 1933 to 1975, she was involved in Missouri River improvement work, moving men, equipment and supplies, and setting navigation buoys along the river. In later years, as navigation improvements were completed and more efficient equipment became available, her role was reduced.

The Floyd was about to be decommissioned, when Congress authorized her to be converted for one final task, a floating bicentennial exhibit for the Army Corps of Engineers. For eighteen months she traveled the inland and Gulf inter-coastal waterways, showing how the Corps contributed to the history of our country.

After her stint as a floating exhibit, the Floyd was decommissioned and moored in St. Louis, where she served briefly as a museum. In 1983 the Floyd was offered for sale by the Department of General Services. The city of Sioux City obtained her and brought to the current location. Permanently dry-docked, she serves as a river museum and welcome center. Visitors can see the history of Missouri River transportation through rare photos, artifacts and dioramas. The boat also displays America's largest exhibit of scale Missouri River steamboat and keelboat models.