Big Muddy Speaker Series

Presentation by Barbara Giles

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

7 p.m. presentation
lower floor of the Les Bourgeois Vineyards Bistro in Rocheport, MO (directions below)  

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

Click here to download flier (pdf)

A fanciful drawing of the Western Engineer, one of the first steamboats to travel up the Missouri River in 1820.

The Missouri River was never kind to steamboats, but for several decades the river served as a highway to the west, with steamboats being the main conduit of settlers and supplies for the western expansion. From the intricate and evolving design of these impossible river crafts to the stories of the people that transformed this dangerous journey up the Missouri River into a phenomena of western movement and shipping, Barbara Giles will share her research into the development of steamboat travel on the Big Muddy.

Famous “mountain” steamboat pilot Joseph Marie LaBarge (1815-1899)

Barbara Giles is a retired molecular biologist whose interest in early Missouri River history turned into an obsession of sorts when she discovered that one of her ancestors was famous Missouri River steamboat pilot Joseph M. LaBarge. Her and her husband Roger now own and operate a steel-hulled sternwheel paddleboat named the “Joseph M. LaBarge” which is moored at Cooper’s Landing in Boone County. Her alternate title for this presentation is: “Lessons Learned from My LaBarges:  the Captain and the Sternwheeler”.

The sternwheeler named Joseph M. LaBarge is owned and operated by Barbara and Roger Giles out of the Port of Nashville, Boone County, MO. photo by Racin’ Dave Stevens.

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.