You can visit the Steamboat Arabia museum in Kansas City to learn more about Missouri's steamboat history.
May 28, 1819: The first steamboat on the Missouri River arrived at Franklin. It was named The Independence. Most riverboats could not traverse the Missouri because of strong current and the extreme number of submerged snags.
This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.