Originally published: New York : Macmillan, 1964. Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-297) and index.
Contents:
Index. Prologue : blow for a landmark -- 24. Mississippi sunrise -- 2. Great river -- 3. All the way to Shawneetown -- 4. Six men and an earthquake -- [pt. 2]. Two thousand packets -- 5. Smoke on the rivers -- 6. Captain shreve was there -- 7. Travelers' tales -- 8. River song -- 9. Voyage to exile -- 10. Horizon north -- 11. The way to the future city -- 12. "Cotton pile!" -- 13. Jim Bludso's ghost -- 14. Mark Twain, pilot -- [pt. 3]. The chained river -- 15. The fleet at Pittsburg Landing -- 16. Eads's ironclads -- 17. Guns at Vicksburg -- [pt. 4]. Indian summer -- 18. The splendid packets -- 19. The mountain trip -- 20. Raftsman Jim -- 21. A century of showboats -- [pt. 5]. Towboat river -- 22. Dayboards, buoys and beacons -- 23. The new waterway -- 24. Down to New Orleans -- Acknowledgments -- Bibliography -- Index.
Summary:
"Voices on the River relates two centuries of tales of famous steamboats and of the men who piloted them, from the renowned Mark Twain to the trailblazing Captain Henry Shreve. The book portrays roustabouts on the main deck, passengers in plush cabins, pilots at the big steering wheel, and government engineers at work in shifting channels. It shows Native American tribes carried to exile; soldiers transported to army posts; artists, scientists, and adventurers on their way to wild country; and immigrants thronging river landings where the inland cities rose." "Voices on the River follows frontier commerce up the Mississippi River and its two major tributaries, the Ohio and the Missouri. It tells of steamboat speed records, races, and disasters, and of the growing nation in the vast Midwest. This book gathers memories of a wide variety of Mississippi characters to provide an engrossing portrait of the expanse of river life."--BOOK JACKET.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.