A blufftop view of the Missouri River.

December 16, 1875

This date in Missouri history: The steamboat Alice Gray exploded her boiler and sank at Rocheport.


June 12, 1873

The side-wheeler Mary McDonald was tied up at Waverly when she caught fire and was destroyed.


April 27, 1865

The Nation's worst maritime disaster happened on the Mississippi a fair piece south of Cape Girardeau.


May 28, 1819

The first steamboat on the Missouri River arrived at Franklin. Most riverboats could not traverse the Missouri because of the strong current and the extreme number of submerged snags.  


June 30, 1870

The famous steamboat race between the Natchez and the Robert E. Lee began in New Orleans on this date, at 5 PM. It was a 1200 mile upstream race to St. Louis, and the record of 3 days, 18 hours, and about 20 minutes still stands for commercial boats.


Steamboat Arabia

September 5, 1856

The steamboat Arabia sank at Westport Landing. It has been raised and is now a wonderful museum.