Old Times on the Upper Mississippi The Recollections of a Steamboat Pilot from 1854 to 1863

Step onto the deck of a nineteenth‑century riverboat and listen as a young pilot recounts his first years navigating the winding Upper Mississippi. He describes the mist‑cloaked islands at the mouth of the Wisconsin, the bustling levees of towns like Prescott and Winona, and the thunder of steam engines pushing cargo and passengers upriver. Through vivid anecdotes about fellow engineers, clerks, and seasoned captains, the narrative paints a living picture of a world where the river was the highway of commerce and adventure.

The memoir captures the rhythm of river life—the nightly foghorns, the seasonal floods, the delicate dance of pilot and current—and the camaraderie that bound the crew together. Listeners will hear the sounds of paddle wheels turning, the chatter of a bustling river port, and the quiet moments when a novice learns the river’s hidden signs. It’s a window onto a vanished era, told with the honesty and humility of someone who learned his trade on the water.