Steamboat in a Cornfield
Encyclopedia
Steamboat in a Cornfield (ISBN 0-517-56141-7) is a children's book written by musician and steamboat
pilot
John Hartford
.
steamboat around 1910. The boat, the Virginia, was subject to the rather fickle nature of the river at that time and ended up beached in a cornfield. This steamboat navigated the river before locks
and dam
s were constructed to help regulate the waterway. Hartford recounts the hard times faced by this particular steamboat company which pressured the captain to make an ill-advised venture. The book uses old photos and maps to show the steamboat and trace its route. The accomplishment of what was seemingly an impossible task to refloat the steamboat is documented. The book ends with a coda
, describing the fate of the characters.
Steamboat in a Cornfield was published in 1986 by the Crown Publishing Group
and it is out-of-print. In May 1991, the Gasoline Alley
comic strip featured Hartford in a storyline that paralleled that of the children's book.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
pilot
Pilotage
Pilotage is the use of fixed visual references on the ground or sea by means of sight or radar to guide oneself to a destination, sometimes with the help of a map or nautical chart. People use pilotage for activities such as guiding vessels and aircraft, hiking and Scuba diving...
John Hartford
John Hartford
John Cowan Hartford was an American folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore...
.
Plot
Hartford tells the exciting true story of the incident in the life of an Ohio RiverOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
steamboat around 1910. The boat, the Virginia, was subject to the rather fickle nature of the river at that time and ended up beached in a cornfield. This steamboat navigated the river before locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
and dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s were constructed to help regulate the waterway. Hartford recounts the hard times faced by this particular steamboat company which pressured the captain to make an ill-advised venture. The book uses old photos and maps to show the steamboat and trace its route. The accomplishment of what was seemingly an impossible task to refloat the steamboat is documented. The book ends with a coda
Epilogue
An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work...
, describing the fate of the characters.
Steamboat in a Cornfield was published in 1986 by the Crown Publishing Group
Crown Publishing Group
-External links:*...
and it is out-of-print. In May 1991, the Gasoline Alley
Gasoline Alley
Gasoline Alley is a comic strip created by Frank King and currently distributed by Tribune Media Services. First published November 24, 1918, it is the second longest running comic strip in the US and has received critical accolades for its influential innovations...
comic strip featured Hartford in a storyline that paralleled that of the children's book.