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
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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
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