Story about the Missouri River

I can be so upset and angry at the world I can barely contain myself. But let me get the boat in the water and after 1 mile I dont even know what I was upset about. I love the river and I would live on it if I could. And you are so right about towns not using it for the good of the community. Many towns along the river fail to see the potential.

 

Great story Dale, I can't tell you how many times I go to the edge of a river and just sit there and watch the water flow by. It is my own form of therapy.:big_smile:

 

we hunt the islands south of hanibal missouri, i think i like the boat ride better than the hunting. we get off the island about 1100 am and ride to the top of the island and float back to the ramp. takes about an hour. best hour in the world!!!! makes all your problems seem small!!!!

 

Well Dale, that is one hell of a story! Thank you very much. I used to live in KC for over 30 years and I didn't have anyone that I knew that would show me the ropes so to speak of the river and I know better than to try to learn them myself with my boat so I stayed off and admired her greatness from afar and always dreamed of taking a vacation and heading to St. Louis in a boat like the old days but its never happened so I still dream about it. Thanks Again

 

Great Article. I dont know what I would do without the Mississippi River. Its a huge part of my life. The solitude, peace, and all of the great times shes given me with cherished friends and loved ones. Folks just dont understand what they are missing.

 

Kind of gives you mixed emotions. On one hand you would like to share all the great things about the river but if you do some of the great things will dissappear. Like the solitude.

 

Yeah, on second thought, Maybe we should just keep it our little secret Bob. :smile2:

 

Well done Dale, your story stirs memories from family stories and provides a glimps into our heritage along the mighty Mo.
Our main transportation for a period of time was provided by the rivers and communities began, traded and interacted by means of the rivers. As other means of transportation grew so did the communities away from the rivers and there dependency on our waterways. My thoughts go to a small port town along the Missouri called Charleston, it was about 7 miles north/north east of the town of Troy Kansas and north/west of St. Joseph Missouri which thrived for a period of time. Charleston dwindled till in the fall of 1903 the post office shut down and was absorbed by the Troy post office. My great grandfather was the last post master. Nothing remains of that little port town, only on the Corp of Engineers Missouri river navigation charts will you even see the name mentioned on a bend in the river.
I now live in Troy Missouri and there’s a town on the Cuivre river here called chain of rocks that was the furthest place up the Cuivre which is a Mississippi river tributary that the shipping freights could travel. There still remains a small residual of where they docked and unloaded but that is it. Rivers constantly change and whether we like it or not so does all that surrounds them. My dad told me of his grandfather bringing home a large buffalo from the river, they were and still are a fairly common native fish on the river. Now, non native species are as common as native. Change is everywhere, but folks here on the BOC that love the river know so well the lure of the river, a sanctuary, a breath of fresh air that renews and brings a joy in the mist of this ever changing world. Thanks for sharing your story with us Dale, keep up the good work, I know it is much appreciated here with us.