Across The Fence: Steamboats on the Missouri

The first steamboat to haul freight up the Missouri River was an early paddle wheeler, christened the 'Independence', under the command of Captain John Nelson. Nelson piloted the boat from St. Louis, Missouri as far north as Franklin, Missouri in a total of 13 days that included seven days of actual running time. The boat then continued upriver a short distance to Chariton before turning back toward St. Louis. Franklin's newly established newspaper, The Missouri Intelligencer, reported the historic event with an article in the June 4, 1819 issue:

"We may truly regard this event as highly i...