Big Muddy Speaker Series

Presentation by Captain Steve Engemann, towboat pilot and President of Hermann Sand and Gravel

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

• 7 p.m. presentation
• lower floor of the Les Bourgeois Vineyards Bistro in Rocheport, MO
• Map and Directions

If you intend on coming early to purchase an amazing dinner at Les Bourgeois Bistro before the presentation, PLEASE call to make a reservation at: 573-698-2300 and…tell them you are with the Big Muddy Speaker Series!

Presentation is FREE and open to the public!

The Missouri River has always had a reputation for being the most difficult of our western rivers to navigate. “Steamboat Bill” Heckman, a legendary steamboat pilot from Hermann, MO, supplied us with this great quote – “The mouth of the Missouri separated the men from the boys in the old days,” Heckman claimed. “The boys went up the Mississippi, and the men headed up the Big Muddy.”

Captain Steve Engemann

Since the days when Heckman navigated the river, the river has been channelized, turning a wild, braided stream into a more predictable channel for navigation. But the river still remains tricky, and very few transportation companies utilize that channel to move freight on the river. One of the most experienced of these is Captain Steve Engemann, pilot and President of Hermann Sand and Gravel. Now operating two long-distance Missouri River towboats, Engemann is part of a movement to restart a viable navigation industry on the Missouri. He’ll share a bit of Missouri River navigation history, as well as stories of his own Big Muddy challenges and triumphs.

Directions

• 14020 W. Hwy BB, Rocheport, MO
• Take I-70 to the Rocheport, MO, exit (Exit #115). It’s the first exit east of the Missouri River.
• Head north toward Rocheport.
• After about a mile, turn left at the sign for Les Bourgeois Bistro. Follow the signs to the Bistro. You will probably need to park in the lot above the Bistro and walk the trail down.
• The presentations are held in upstairs in the restaurant. The restaurant is no longer open on Tuesdays but the bar is! You are welcome to bring your own food or snacks.