George Byron Merrick piloted steamboats on the Upper Mississippi River from 1854 to 1863, and his memoir preserves that vanished world of steam, river commerce, and frontier settlement in rich, affectionate detail. Writing decades later, Merrick recalls the boats, the characters, the hazards of the river, and the rhythms of a life spent reading water.
For readers who love Mark Twain’s river writing, Merrick’s memoir offers an equally authentic account from a working pilot of the same era. Download this free EPUB and drift back to the golden age of American river travel.