Old Times on the Upper Mississippi (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. The Recollections of a Steamboat Pilot from 1854 to 1863By George Byron Merrick
Length11h 23m
About this audiobook
Old Times on the Upper Mississippi is a vivid memoir of river life during the great steamboat age, chiefly from 1854 to 1863, when the Upper Mississippi was a bustling artery of commerce, migration, danger, and local legend. Written in a plain yet evocative reminiscence style, the book blends anecdote, technical detail, and social observation, preserving the language and rhythms of pilots, clerks, roustabouts, captains, and river towns. It belongs beside classic American river literature, illuminating the world that also shaped Mark Twain's imagination. George Byron Merrick was not an armchair historian but a participant-observer of the era he records. Beginning as a boy on the river and later working in steamboat service, he knew firsthand the discipline of piloting, the hazards of shifting channels, and the camaraderie and rivalries of packet-boat culture. His memories are informed by practical knowledge, nostalgia, and a desire to preserve a vanished profession. This book is recommended to readers of American history, transportation, memoir, and regional literature. Merrick offers more than reminiscence: he provides a richly textured documentary portrait of a river civilization at its height and on the brink of transformation.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreHistory
Length11 hrs 23 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 23, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The History of Louisiana, Or of the Western Parts of Virginia and Carolina (Annotated)
2Chapter I Early Impressions
3Chapter II Indians, Dugouts, and Wolves
4Chapter III On the Levee at Prescott
5Chapter IV In the Engine-room
Show all chaptersShow less
6Chapter V The Engineer
7Chapter VI The "Mud" Clerk — Comparative Honors
8Chapter VII Wooding Up
9Chapter VIII The Mate
10Chapter IX The "Old Man"
11Chapter X The Pilots and Their Work
12Chapter XI Knowing the River
13Chapter XII The Art of Steering
14Chapter XIII An Initiation
15Chapter XIV Early Pilots
16Chapter XV Incidents of River Life
17Chapter XVI Mississippi Menus
18Chapter XVII Bars and Barkeepers
19Chapter XVIII Gamblers and Gambling
20Chapter XIX Steamboat Racing
21Chapter XX Music and Art
22Chapter XXI Steamboat Bonanzas
23Chapter XXII Wild-cat Money and Town-sites
24Chapter XXIII A Pioneer Steamboatman
25Chapter XXIV A Versatile Commander; Wreck of the "Equator"
26Chapter XXV A Stray Nobleman
27Chapter XXVI In War Time
28Chapter XXVII At Fort Ridgeley
29Chapter XXVIII Improving the River
30Chapter XXIX Killing Steamboats
31Chapter XXX Living It Over Again
32Appendix
33Appendix A List of Steamboats on the Upper Mississippi River, 1823-1863 (pt. 1)
34Appendix A List of Steamboats on the Upper Mississippi River, 1823-1863 (pt. 2)
35Footnote
36Memorable Quotes
More from George Byron Merrick
A Brief History of IntelligenceMax S. Bennett12h 18m4.6 (6.6K)$29 · $0.00
Ghosts of HiroshimaCharles Pellegrino8h 59m4.5 (877)$23
Unbroken Bonds of BattleJohnny Joey Jones8h 31m4.6 (2.6K)$8 · $0.00
The Daughter of AuschwitzTova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant7h 54m4.6 (16.7K)$26 · $0.00
Lily's PromiseLily Ebert, Dov Forman8h 54m4.6 (16.1K)$29 · $0.00
On Democracies and Death CultsDouglas Murray10h 38m4.6 (6.5K)$29 · $0.00
Across the RiverKent Babb11h 40m4.6 (927)$29 · $0.00
Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir - Israel, Palestine and BeyondJohn Lyons12h 37m4.6 (1.4K)$33 · $0.00
BeyondStephen Walker15h 39m4.6 (3.2K)$33 · $0.00
Kings and PawnsHoward Bryant10h 9m4.6 (678)$29 · $0.00
No EscapeNury Turkel9h 30m4.6 (809)$28 · $0.00
Jubal Stone: U.S. Marshal: Blood Trail To Hell: A Western Adventure NovelCasey Nash3h 42m4.6 (3.2K)$18 · $0.00
Fall and RiseMitchell Zuckoff17h 23m4.6 (9.8K)$40 · $0.00
The SurvivorJosef Lewkowicz, Michael Calvin9h 22m4.6 (2.5K)$29 · $0.00
Always FaithfulThomas Schueman, Zainullah Zaki12h 12m4.6 (977)$29 · $0.00
The State of Society in France Before the Revolution of 1789 (Annotated)Alexis de Tocqueville17h 25m4.6 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
All the Gallant MenDonald Stratton, Ken Gire5h 55m4.6 (11.8K)$24 · $0.00
Saint Joan (Annotated)George Bernard Shaw6h 20m4.6 (1.2K)$1.20 · $0.00
Medgar and MyrlieJoy-Ann Reid10h 52m4.5 (27.8K)$29 · $0.00
The History of the Peloponnesian War (Annotated)Thucydides24h 3m4.6 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
You may also like
The Sex Lives of CannibalsJ. Maarten Troost8h 36m3.9 (32.1K)$17 · $0.00
The Bobbsey Twins in the CountryLaura Lee Hope5h 28m3.8 (1.7K)$1 · $0.00
The Autobiography of Charles DarwinCharles Darwin2h 25m4.0 (5.1K)$15
The Little Shepherd of Kingdom ComeJohn Jr. Fox7h 27m4.1 (387)$1.99 · $0.00
Farmer BoyLaura Ingalls Wilder6h 28m4.2 (98.9K)$24 · $0.00
Swallows and AmazonsArthur Ransome11h 14m4.2 (44K)$1 · $0.00
Racing the RainJohn L. Parker Jr.10h 48m4.2 (3.1K)$20
Old Times on the MississippiMark Twain3h 37m3.8 (18)$7 · $0.00
Dotty Dimple Out WestSophie May2h 23m$2 · $0.00
Whistler, or, the Manly BoyWalter Aimwell6h 12m$2.30
Personal Reminiscences and Some Short StoriesR. M. Ballantyne5h 34m$2.30
Mark Twain; his life and work. A biographical sketchWilliam M. Clemens, Mark Twain4h 28m$1 · $0.00
Happy EnglandMarcus B. Huish3h 57m$2 · $0.00
The Girl ScoutsGirl Scouts of the United States of America28m$1.99 · $0.00
Little Sunshine's holiday : A picture from lifeDinah Maria Mulock Craik4h 26m$1 · $0.00
Watch Yourself Go ByAl. G. Field18h 30m$2.30
Secret Sisters of the Salty SeaLynne Rae Perkins3h 13m3.9 (535)$18 · $0.00
Marjorie's Life and Adventures – 5 Children's Books in One Volume (Annotated)Carolyn Wells30h 45m$2 · $0.00
To Nuremberg and Back: A Girl's HolidayAmy Neally1h 33m$1 · $0.00
Courage, True Hearts: Sailing in Search of FortuneGordon Stables8h 49m$2 · $0.00