History of Early Steamboat Navigation on the Missouri River, Volume 2 (of 2) / Life and Adventures of Joseph La Barge

A detailed historical account of steamboat navigation on the Missouri River that interweaves technical, commercial, and human narratives centered on a pioneer river captain and trader. It documents the development and decline of river commerce, operational hazards such as snags and shifting channels, wartime disruptions and guerrilla attacks, interactions with Indigenous communities, the rush of gold-driven traffic to the upper river, military transport and supply operations, and the competition from emerging railroads. The volume combines episodic voyages and incidents with maps and illustrations and concludes by assessing the river’s changing role in regional transportation and settlement.