OLLI at West Virginia University

Spring Term 2012

Mississippi Steamers: Mississippi River Steamboat Bi-Centennial


Instructor: Wallace Venable
email Wallace.Venable@mail.wvu.edu
Monday, 1:00 pm - 2:50 am Classroom A - Mountaineer Mall
April 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14 

Official Course Title:     Mississippi Steamers
Course Description:     In 1812 the first Mississippi River steamboat reached New Orleans, having started from Pittsburgh the preceding fall. In this course we will look at the history and romance of the 'Western Rivers' steamboat from 1811 through today.

Instructor's "Biography:"   Wally Venable has been playing with, and studying, riverboats for over forty years. He used to race a paddlewheel boat in river regattas.

This page serves as an e-handout, and provides links to supplementary resources.

Readings:

The First Steamboat Voyage On The Western Waters, John H. B. Latrobe, The Maryland Historical Maryland Society, 1871 - 138 KB

A Lost Chapter in the History of the Steamboat, John H. B. Latrobe, The Maryland Historical Maryland Society, 1871 - 123 KB

Biographical Sketches of Nickolas Roosevelt and John H. B. Latrobe

King Coal's Highway - Harper's Magazine - January 1882 - 771 KB

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Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/245

Class Presentations in .PDF format:

Class #1 "PowerPoint" as .PDF file - 10 MB

Class #2 "PowerPoint" as .PDF file - 16 MB

Class #3 "PowerPoint" as .PDF file - 21 MB

Class #4 "PowerPoint" as .PDF file - 15 MB

Class #5 "PowerPoint" as .PDF file - 17 MB

Links:

Upper Monongahela River Association

YouTube Videos:


Rally on the River - Steamboat Delta Queen rolls main engines
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaIuDQK633E

Butch Williams Builds A Paddlewheel Boat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daMQCVzuu0c