In the heyday of its water commerce, Lake Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho was the scene of more steamboating than any other lake, salt or fresh, west of the Great Lakes. The old steamers brought gold, silver, and lead from the mines; lumber from the forests; mail to lonely homesteaders; and romance down the shadowy St. Joe River, whose silken waters flow into the Coeur d’Alene. The old steamboats are gone now from the lake—but here is their story, exciting, nostalgic and complete. Across Lake Coeur d’Alene, in the early days, the big mining boom in the Coeur d’Alene Mountains was carried out, and the ore-hauling stammers came and went. Across the lake water went the timber seekers in their rush to grab the white pine riches of the St. Joe country; and a new fleet of stammers carried timber barons, homesteaders and lumberjacks up the twisting, cottonwood-shaded St. Joe. On holidays the old stammers were transformed into excursion boats. The beauty of the mountain lake and its two rivers lured thousands of people from Spokane and the Palouse farmlands, who crowded into special trains and headed for the banner-draped boats. Gay crowds danced on deck, children had a hectic day, and amorous couples gazed languorously at the blue-and-silver waters as the excursion steamer trailed homeward in the moonlight. Here you will visit the bustling waterfront boom towns of Coeur d’Alene, Harrison, St. Maries, Ferrell, and St. Joe, just as they were in the glory days of steamboating, and as they are today. Romantic and factual history skilfully merge as the old towns, the rivermen, and the boats glide by in easy, informed narrative.

Richly detailed definitive account covers every aspect of steamboat's development — from construction, equipment, and operation to races, collisions, rise of competition, and ultimate decline of steamboat transportation.

Given in honor of Royce Hickman by the Aggieland Rotary Club of Bryan-College Station.

A heavily illustrated children’s history of the logging boom in the 19th century and the conservation efforts that followed. How did the logging boom begin? What was it like to work in the woods? What happened to the land after the trees were cut down? The latest book for young readers from father-daughter duo Jerry Apps and Susan Apps-Bodilly explores the origin story of Wisconsin’s logging boom, the devastation it caused to the land, and the extraordinary efforts to restore the cutover land and log sustainably. Timber! helps young readers examine a complex and pivotal chapter in our state and nation’s history, covering a wide range of topics, including: • how Native people used, shared, and relied on natural resources for thousands of years • the forced removal of Native people from forested lands • how the lumber industry made possible the westward expansion of the United States • what it was like to work in a logging camp, on a log drive, and inside a sawmill • the roles on a logging team, from sawyer to cook • the destructive legacy of early logging practices and early efforts to restore the land • the emergence of sustainable forestry practices This comprehensive yet easy-to-read history includes letters, postcards, and other primary sources paired with discussion questions designed to engage young readers’ creativity and critical-thinking skills. Timber! also features more than 100 images, a glossary, suggested activities, and an extensive list of related resources, including books, websites, teaching materials, museums, and outdoor places to visit. Timber! will inspire readers of all ages to explore, protect, and learn about trees and forests in their own communities.

The steamboat evokes images of leisurely travel, genteel gambling, and lively commerce, but behind the romanticized view is an engineering marvel that led the way for the steam locomotive. From the steamboat's development by Robert Fulton to the dawn of the Civil War, the new mode of transportation opened up America's frontiers and created new trade routes and economic centers. Firsthand accounts of steamboat accidents, races, business records and river improvements are collected here to reveal the culture and economy of the early to mid-1800s, as well as the daily routines of crew and passengers. A glossary of steamboat terms and a collection of contemporary accounts of accidents round out this history of the riverboat era.