Dakota on June 16, 1918 and arrived in St. Louis on July 2. The album contains 100 silver gelatin photographs that capture largely undocumented aspects of life along one of America's great western rivers. Each image provides viewers the intimate feeling of standing on the deck of the Scarab, alongside Fiske, as he makes his journey. The album includes views of the Scarab and the passing boats, Missouri
This collection of glass plate negatives depicts scenes of St. Louis at the turn of the 20th century including the construction of the 1904 World’s Fair in Forest Park, the newly built Compton Hill Water Tower, the Cathedral Basilica, the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts and Brookings Hall at Washington University, a variety of farm houses and homes around the city, steamboats along the
Panoramic watercolor painting depicts the aftermath of a fire that destroyed much of the St. Louis riverfront in 1849, showing burned out buildings, the wreckage of steamboats and damaged docks. Signed lower right "Lemasson" and inscribed lower margin "Locust St."
This collection of letters and diaries of Captain Enos B. Moore preserves a turbulent time in US and river history, the years leading up to and through the Civil War. Moore piloted steamboats on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers for 45 years, between 1844-1889. The letters date from 1853 to 1865. The four diaries contain daily entries for years 1859, 1860, 1861, and 1865. Subjects include river
This letter was written in 1849 by a forty-niner in St. Louis, one William H. Morse, to a friend back home in New England. He’s been in St. Louis for three weeks, the last stop on the frontier, as he prepares to embark on a journey westward on the overland trail, making his way to California in search of gold. He describes his 35 day trip thus far, from an unnamed town in the northeast, south
This diary documents Rebecca and Henry Bruce Milroy’s convalescent journey from Washington County, Indiana to Natchez Mississippi, as well as Henry’s return trip after his wife’s death. The 42 page diary includes near daily entries from October 26, 1836 to January 1, 1837. The author describes several towns they pass through, places they stay, steamboats they take passage aboard, people they
This letter to an unnamed recipient provides a remarkable window into the mind and soul of this American legend. The letter captures Robert Fulton’s frustration and bitterness at having to compete for recognition of his monumental achievements. He argues passionately that he alone can claim he invented steamboats and he provides proof by expounding upon his superior familiarity with the operational principles of steam travel.
Photograph of the steamboat R.C. Gunter. The R.C. Gunter was a sternwheel packet built at Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1886 for the Chattanooga and Decatur Packet Company. R.C. Gunter was the owner and master. By 1896 the boat had been sold to the St. Louis, Harden and Hempsville Packet Company, and then sold again to the Eagle Packet Company a year later in 1901. The latter company ran the boat one