Steamboat Malta

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

And a shout out to Dusty Morningwood. This could be interesting. If more stuff pops up in our local news, I'll keep everyone posted. Hope they don't cut corners this time.

 

Steamboat Malta

[Subdeacon Joe]

Thanks. It would be great to have it be a proper dig.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Interesting stuff. Well, the Chouteaus were big time in St. Louis. They have a street

named after the family. Be fun to see what that boat had on board when she went

down. Remember, those rivers, at that time, did not have Corp of Engineer's work

all over them. They were WILD AND FREE.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Yup, over 200 wrecks just between Kansas City and St. Louis. As I recall there are over 400 along the river's length.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Different time period, but my Grandfather would tell me stories about the old paddle wheelers on the Mississippi

late in the 19th century and into the early 20th. He personally knew a lot of the Captains and rode on some of

the boats that later went down. Interesting stuff coming first hand. Being a farmer and having to get his produce

to market required some interesting things. Roads were not much use when you had a river and a paddle wheeler.

Took his hogs to East St. Louis for slaughter and then bought his year's supplies of flour, sugar, and things he could

not grow, or buy closer to home. It all got hauled home is the wagon pulled by his two mules.

There was/is a place called Wagner's Landing. Folks would start a signal fire and the boats would pull

in to pick up freight and passengers.

ED: http://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/harvesting/transportation/boats/steamboats.html