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Lightering Boat, model


Title	Lightering Boat, model
Coverage / Year	1840
Description	(From the inscription below the boat) Low water and rapids in the Mississippi River at Keokuk necessitated the process of "Lightering" freight and passengers around the rapids. "Lightering" meant hauling passengers and freight in smaller boats which could be operated in shallow waters. Removing the cargo allowed the steamboat to rise enough to clear the rocks. Although any type of boat could be used as a lightering craft, they were usually keelboats. The average charge in the 1840s was $200 per ton. Lightering was a profitable business but had its hazards. Besides accidents on the rocks, boats could be crushed by winter ice. Lightering was only profitable when the river was low. High water meant low profits.
Lesson Plans / Themes	How we learn about communities;
Learning Standards	16 History; 17 Geography; 18 Social Systems;
Subject / Keywords	Boats; Mississippi River; Passenger boats; Transportation
Collection Publisher	Illinois Heritage Association
Further Information	For any further information related to this record, please contact the Collection Publisher. See http://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/tdc for more information about this project.
Rights Management Statement	http://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/tdc/conditions.htm
Resource Identifier	IHA00130
CONTENTdm file name	68729181962002_IHA00130.jpg