All those boats tied up rail to rail was a recipe for disaster. In 1904 one ship caught fire and wiped out 100's of boats, some of the remains can still be seen during periods of very low water.

Cruised my this yesterday. Think where where my Mt.Vernon ?

That's a nice galley. Looks very clean .How does the cooking work? Do you cook your own meals? I assume there is not cook on board? Any wolf equipment ? Looks like a very nice tug you are on.

Thanks for all the pics Wolfie, keep them coming when you can. I love seeing the scenery and comments on it. I miss the pics River Birch used to post on here.

1850s was the high point for steamboat traffic on the Mississippi River. Then came the war and then came the railroads which were the demise of the steamboats.
History says that at one time there were 178 steamboats counted on the levee there at St. Louis during this period. Mostly on the Missouri side but some on the Illinois side. Off loading freight, on loading freight, waiting for a departure date, having their ship looked after by chandlers or artisans or .... whatever.
The levee ran approximately 6 miles up and down river from a point close to where the Arch is now. The Arch area was the center of it all. I'd pay good money to go back in time and walk that levee. So much history there. Hawkens gun store would have been in operation then too. Frenchman, Indians, immigrant Germans, river people, westward pioneers, 49ers, military people...........It would have been a colorful place.

Some enterprising souls dug up one of those steamboats that sunk, and made a museum with all the cargo.




https://www.1856.com/