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Rocheport Once River Port Where Many Boats Landed
Town Was One of the Busiest on the Missouri River During the "Golden Age of River Transportation" From Plan to Dredge River for Steamboats May Mean Return of Prosperity to this Little River City.
The shrill blast of steamboat for many years unheard along the 'Big Muddy. may be coming back. Efforts to have the United States ernment dredge Missouri for the of steamboats bids fair to crowned with success in the near future. Should this be done the river again become the great artery that once was along its banks that once thrived and prospered may awaken and become the hustling centers of History is given to repetition degree but never paints the same picture twice and the first steamboat that mills its way up the Big Muddy' under the new plan will meet quite different view to the one that cautiously felt its way up the stream between unchartered banks and with lurking Indians on either side in 1819. Then the river was bordered with unknown wilderness either side with the exception of occasional small settlement favorable crossing places and landIngs from Louis to Joseph, the last great outpost on the way to the great Now in the rich valley of the river between these two one continuous ribbon of well-cultivated farms and prosperous towns. Just below Kansas City, which was then but small town. is to be found section of seventy-five miles of greatest potato producing district the world. There were the real gold mines that the adventurers passed by on their mad rush to the hills California in search of the glittering nuggets in '49. The Missouri River is the mother of transportation in the Middle West Long before the coming of the rail roads farmers and merchants along the stream floated their surplus products down the river on flat boats to St. Louis and the makets further south. Very naturally the points that af forded good landing place and was easily accessable from farms lying to the interior became the trading centers and small towns sprang up and prospered. Thus was that many river towns developed. In this manner it was that Rocheport was started and built to thriving little city of 1000 population. The advantages affordede at mouth of the Moniteau." known then Arnolds' Landing and later as Rocheport, the point of embarkation for flat boats as early as 1818 and immediately afterward the harbor for steamboats At the mouth of the Moniteau Creek the belt of timber on either side of the stream widened out into angular shaped area called point grove. This wooded area was the source of plentiful supply of varikinds of timber needed in the construction of flat Moniteau Creek itself served as safe harbor which to build the boat and afforddesirable place from which launch it into the main stream. Soon small trading post sprang up and warehouses and stores were built. The settlement was organized town of Rocheport in Ten the later Rocheport an imporyears tant center Many tons of produce including tobacco, hemp. rope, feathers. flax seed. hides, butter apples, and peaches went down the river to market and large quantities of dry goods. farm drugs and miscellaneous supplies were brought back. dozen retail stores carried on this business. During the season the incoming boats unloaded tons of chandise meet the demands of the wholesale and retail business of the Rocheport market. As many as five hundred landings were made and many fifty boats were scheduled for regular stops during season. Industry developed in connection with trade interests. Some of the produce brought to the town was manufactured before was shipped. The manufacturing of other commodities developed in response to the mand of local market. Such estab lishments as tanneries, tobacco tories, sawmills, potteries. rope walks. plow and wagon factories. brick yards and blacksmith shops carried profitable business for many years. The growth of Rocheport closely parallels in population the development of transportation on the Missouri River. By 1870 it had reached its maximum size which was 1000. handleded the greatest tonnage "Golden Era" in steamboat transportation was from 1850 to 1870 Between those dates there was scarcely time that from fifty to sixty boats were not running on regular schedule. So numerous were boats in the lower river during this period that it was no unusual sight to see as many five six lying at landing at the same time and at time was boat out of sight during the boating season which continued from March until The site of Rocheport had been crossing point of the Missouri River long before permanent settlers rived. It had long been used by the Indians and the first adventureous pioneers who pushed west ahead of civilization. At this place the stream was comparatively narrow and less turbulent. break in the bluffs on either side faciliated travel to and from the interior. Then, too, travelers crosssing the river here would save ten or twelve miles on the road west have much better road and avoid several creeks and extensive bottoms, which. in times, impeded progress. Even before 1825 immigrants could hire the services horse ferry. As late as 1870 immigrants bound for Kansas and other western territory crossed at Rocheport In the fall of the year the streets were crowded with emigrant wagons from morning till night, stopping just long enough purchase supplies. But the prosperity of Rocheport derived from the river trade was not permanent. Today there is little evidence of its having been "one of the most thrifty towns on the river for number of miles," as an old newspaper report describes it. The population has decreased by one-half and the in
United States District Judge Faris has reversed former decision and decided that the human senses may not be used to detect the presence of still sufficiently to permit the swearing out of search warrant He makes also illegal to search or arrest persons in house where no proof of of liquor has been established, although still may be in operation.
Farmers of Madison County will be asked to subscribe to fund being raised to provide help to ruralists along the bottom-lands of the Illinois River basin who sustained great losses from floods Crops, and personal property was washed
Reorganization of the bank of Clarkton. Dunklin County, is planned. An undercurrent of talk caused run the bank and forced it to close its doors, according to the president.
G. B. Moore of Vandalia who was elected justice of the peace there reports total expenditures in his campaign for election to amount to cent stamp.
James Leavell. retired bankof Fulton. died at the Church that city just minute he had entered to attend revival vices being conducted by Gipsy Smith.
The Poplar Bluff Country Club has closed the deal for the leasing of 400-acre tract within five miles of Poplar Bluff and in the Ozark foothills. A nine-hole course will be laid out on
A combined fire and police station will be erected soon in Moberly if the plan now being investigated by Mayor Jeffries proved favorable. The old city hall building, in which both departments are now housed may be sold. The new building will be ated on lot in the downtown trict owned by the city.
The students of the Wesplains High School have been making trips to rural schools and putting on programs for the students there in move to make the city and country schools closer together. Musical and readings constitute most of the programs. dustrial and trade activities of the former days have ceased. Rocheport has become one of the many small villages located at convenient intervals to serve as business centers for surrounding agricultural communities The change has come about as sult of new developments in of and in crop tion. The steamboat on the Missouri River could not compete successfully with the railroad because navigation on that river especially was hazardous, uncertain and limited to short seasons. The number of river boats decreased quite rapidly after 1870 and the importance of the small towns along the river likewise declined in population and importance In an effort to maintain the commercial importance of Rocheport, citizens made several attempts to operate boats on the Missouri in interests of the town. Such however, were not justified because the railroads were taking the territory which had long been commercially tributary to Rocheport. And now as the cycle swings back to river transportation Rocheport may again see steamboats loading and unloading at her busy docks. The little town may again take on new life and become again an important shipping point for the rich farms which surround the town. The harbor is there and that will mean much. The thriving prosperity may be ing back to Rocheport.
