Wes Modes
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Site of the Huntsville slave cemetery now honored with medical offices. Last used in 1870. Euphemistically known as “Georgia” in the Black community
Site of the Huntsville slave cemetery now honored with medical offices. Last used in 1870. Euphemistically known as “Georgia” in the Black community
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UK DailyMail: Could you live on a ‘shantyboat’? Artist calls this tiny homemade floating shack home as he journeys around the Tennessee River
A homemade ‘shanty boat’ is currently floating down the Tennessee River through Alabama to remind Americans of their ‘forgotten history’.
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Doris Turner – What does the river mean to you?
Excerpt from interview with Dorris Turner in Guntersville, Alabama along the banks of the Tennessee River.
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Have a beater car we can borrow for a few days in Huntsville? Downtown is literally 10’miles from the river
Have a beater car we can borrow for a few days in Huntsville? Downtown is literally 10’miles from the river
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Cara pilots on a hazy afternoon through high bluffs
Cara pilots on a hazy afternoon through high bluffs
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Secret History is front page in the Guntersville Gleam
Secret History is front page in the Guntersville Gleam
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TVA bans new floating homes, but allows existing homes to stay
Since the 1950s, floating homes on the water have been an endangered species in the US. With the exception of those on city- or county-owned waters, boathouses are all but extinct on the Mississippi River. On Tennessee Valley Authority controlled waters in the Tennessee River watershed, floating homes are also endangered.
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Doris Turner talked to us about her daddy who was a captain on the Guntersville and Huntsville steamboats hauling railroad cars 22 miles to Hobbs Island
Dorris Turner talked to us about her daddy who was a captain on the Guntersville and Huntsville steamboats hauling railroad cars 22 miles to Hobbs Island
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Pete Sparks and Larry Smith, both Guntersville historians, told us about the TVA impounding of Lake Guntersvilke, the Civil War and the Cherokee removals
Pete Sparks and Larry Smith, both Guntersville historians, told us about the TVA impounding of Lake Guntersvilke, the Civil War and the Cherokee removals
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Huntsville Times: Fishing For Stories
Artist cruises into Huntsville today (or tomorrow) on a shantyboat river journey. The boat was built by California-based artist Wes Modes, who is traveling America’s rivers to document the stories and history of people who live and work along the rivers. And he’d love to know who he should talk to.
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Cara with Dorris Turner, 75, whose father was a steamboat captain in Guntersville
Cara with Dorris Turner, 75, whose father was a steamboat captain in Guntersville
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The case of the “stolen” johnboat solved. Four agency APB. Fastest response ever. Found drifting and brought to hotel dock by a boat repair fella
The case of the “stolen” johnboat solved. Four agency APB. Fastest response ever. Found drifting and brought to hotel dock by a boat repair fella
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Empty shore where the johnboat was tied up while I went to the hardware store. Stolen?
Empty shore where the johnboat was tied up while I went to the hardware store. Stolen?
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Guntersville police chief Jim Peterson, fourth generation in this little welcoming town of 8000 (and an Alabama fan).
Guntersville police chief Jim Peterson, fourth generation in this little welcoming town of 8000 (and an Alabama fan). I am told that here I should say “Roll tide.”
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Since we are such terrible fishermen, the only fish we’ve been able to catch have been the dead fish stinking up the harbor
Since we are such terrible fishermen, the only fish we’ve been able to catch have been the dead fish stinking up the harbor
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Guntersville Gleam: He’s running the river in a shanty boat
Guntersville Advertiser-Gleamby Joe Cagle People in Guntersville are used to seeing the same sort of traffic coming in and out of the city harbor. The occasional pontoon boat, a bass boat or even a Guntersville Police boat are the norm, with big yachts sometimes visiting. But a very different kind of boat pulled into the…
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To visualize this properly, imagine sheet lightening rippling along the bottom of this threatening cloud we need to boat home in
To visualize this properly, imagine sheet lightening rippling along the bottom of this threatening cloud we need to boat home in
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Moments before lightening in the distance cleared the pools
Moments before lightening in the distance cleared the pools
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Early evening johnboat adventure with Cara and @gooddoghazel for public pool, liquor and ice
Early evening johnboat adventure with Cara and @gooddoghazel for public pool, liquor and ice
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![Knoxville Mercury: Life Aboard the Shantyboat Dotty [SLIDESHOW]](https://peoplesriverhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/shanty-boat-wes-modes-1910.jpg)
Knoxville Mercury: Life Aboard the Shantyboat Dotty [SLIDESHOW]
Knoxville Mercury By Clay Duda [metaslider id=5031]
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Knoxville Mercury: Shanty Dreams: A Quest for the Forgotten Stories of the Tennessee River
“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” is all I can think as I prepare to board the shantyboat Dotty. This thing doesn’t even look like it could float, much less survive a 652-mile trek down the Tennessee River.
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The muppet Hoggle from the movie Labyrinth discovered rotting in unclaimed luggage and restored
The muppet Hoggle from the movie Labyrinth discovered rotting in unclaimed luggage and restored
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Old AA buddies of Squirlsy’s modeling in Guntersville Alabama
Old AA buddies of Squirlsy’s modeling in Guntersville Alabama
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Who knew there was craft beer in small town Northern Alabama? Main Channel brewing in Guntersville
Who knew there was craft beer in small town Northern Alabama? Main Channel brewing in Guntersville
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Within hours of arriving in Guntersville Alabama the cops arrived… to welcome us to town, ask questions about the shantyboat and the project, to tell us stories, bring the local newspaper, tell us where to eat, and offer us information, contacts, and rides. Police Chief Jim Peterson, Alabama Trooper Lt Terry Ware, Gleam reporter Joe Cagle
Within hours of arriving in Guntersville Alabama the cops arrived… to welcome us to town, ask questions about the shantyboat and the project, to tell us stories, bring the local newspaper, tell us where to eat, and offer us information, contacts, and rides. Police Chief Jim Peterson, Alabama Trooper Lt Terry Ware, Gleam reporter Joe…
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Ghost children in antique store in Gintersville Alabama
Ghost children in antique store in Gintersville Alabama
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After numerous hours on the boat Hazel is glad to ge back to dry land in Guntersville Alabama
After numerous hours on the boat Hazel is glad to ge back to dry land in Guntersville Alabama
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An Hour of Frogs
An ocean of lily pads in a lake on the river host a universe of frogs. Here’s a field recording of frogs in a lily pad field on the Tennessee River near Scottsboro, Alabama at 10pm.
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Artist on Tennessee River Journey to Gather Stories
California artist collecting stories of river people HI-RES PHOTOS AVAILABLE: Click Here A rustic recreated 1940s shantyboat, a daring river voyage, and a meticulous archive of river stories are all part of a multi-year art and history project, A Secret History of American River People. Santa Cruz artist Wes Modes is currently floating his homemade…
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The sun is a blazing fireball 90 degrees F At 10 in the morning
The sun is a blazing fireball 90 degrees F At 10 in the morning
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An Hour of Cicadas
Want to know what these warm summer nights sound like? Here’s a field recording I made of cicadas near the Tennessee River in South Pittsburgh, Tennessee at 10pm.
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Coozies. You’re from California. You wouldn’t understand.
Coozies. You’re from California. You wouldn’t understand. @communistlesbiandiscoparty @slbenz
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Shantyboat on Brown’s Lake [PANORAMA]
Anchored for the night on Brown’s Lake near Walker’s Landing under a nearly full moon.
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Beth and Robert took on a walk along Brown’s Lake near Walker Landing
Beth and Robert took on a walk along Brown’s Lake near Walker Landing
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Beth and Robert took on a walk along Brown’s Lake near Walker Landing
Beth and Robert took on a walk along Brown’s Lake near Walker Landing
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Crazy rainstorm forces us off the river
Crazy rainstorm forces us off the river into a sheltered cove to smoke pipes and drink whiskey
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My local service guys left out a seal and fried the gears.
The new motor we got from Jim Wade was not running smoothly and he drove out an hour twice to make things right. In the end he fixed our old one. Turned out the Santa Cruz repair shop where I paid $600 had forgotten to replace a seal they took out and it had leaked…
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Gifts From Strangers
We are constantly overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers. We come into town and I’m asking people to participate in the project, to share their stories and their lives, and take time out of their busy lives.
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Just your usual sunny day fishing rainstorm experience
Just your usual sunny day fishing rainstorm experience
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James Wade, self-described Tennessee hillbilly and amazingly friendly man, sold us Mr Johnson II, our new old outboard
James Wade, self-described Tennessee hillbilly and amazingly friendly man, sold us Mr Johnson II, our new old outboard
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Glamorous Boating Task Number 512: sorting the moldy dogfood from the good
Glamorous Boating Task Number 512: sorting the moldy dogfood from the good
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Collard greens and jawbone bacon for breakfast. Next up buttery grits and hush puppies
Collard greens and jawbone bacon for breakfast. Next up buttery grits and hush puppies
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Determined to learn some southern cooking. Okra, greens, jawbone bacon, grits, white fish fry
Determined to learn some southern cooking. Okra, greens, jawbone bacon, grits, white fish fry
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Chattanooga Times Free Press: Rollin’ on the River: Artist heading down Tennessee River, documenting the lives of river people
Life on America’s vast rivers always fascinated Wes Modes. As a youth, Mark Twain’s Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer and Harland Hubbard’s “Shantyboat Journal” filled him with a desire to experience and document life on the river.
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Buehler’s Market, in Chattanooga since 1912, caters largely to the Black community in the food desert downtown
Buehler’s Market, in Chattanooga since 1912, caters largely to the Black community in the food desert downtown
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Chattanooga Police observe a Black Lives Matter march
Chattanooga Police observe a Black Lives Matter march
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Maclellan Island, formerly known as Chattanooga Island, formerly known as Crutchfield Island, formerly known as Ross’ Landing Island, and currently called Audubon Island in the middle of the river in downtown Chattanooga. What is the history here?
Maclellan Island, formerly known as Chattanooga Island, formerly known as Crutchfield Island, formerly known as Ross’ Landing Island, and currently called Audubon Island in the middle of the river in downtown Chattanooga. What is the history here?
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Paul playing a Stroh violin in Northshore district Chattanooga
Paul playing a Stroh violin in Northshore district Chattanooga
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With out a doubt the most brilliant urban public art/water feature I’ve ever seen. 5 flights of waterfall stairs
With out a doubt the most brilliant urban public art/water feature I’ve ever seen. 5 flights of waterfall stairs
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Fully protected bike lanes in Chattanooga. Unlike my “progressive” hometown @cityofsantacruz
Fully protected bike lanes in Chattanooga. Unlike my “progressive” hometown @cityofsantacruz
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Sam Houston and the Secret History of Hiwassee Island
He ran away from home and lived with an eccentric Cherokee tribe of about 200 on Hiwassee Island around 1808. He lived with them for two years, during which time he was known as The Raven. He read long passages from the Iliad, which the Cherokee reportedly followed with great interest.
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No worries. This is the lock that the US Army Corps said a decade ago could collapse due to aggregate problems and is long past its replacement date
No worries. This is the lock that the US Army Corps said a decade ago could collapse due to aggregate problems and is long past its replacement date
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Benzy: “First comes vodka, then comes Kahlua, then comes a baby in the baby carriage
Benzy: “First comes vodka, then comes Kahlua, then comes a baby in the baby carriage
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The second nuclear power plant we’ve visited in the last 40 miles on the river
The second nuclear power plant we’ve visited in the last 40 miles on the river
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Squirlsy earned a drink at the end of a long hard day
Squirlsy earned a drink at the end of a long hard day
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Kids like shantyboats the way they like treehouses
Kids like shantyboats the way they like treehouses
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Benzy’s bat that she calmly picked up after it flopped from the ceiling of the boat on to her shirt
Benzy’s bat that she calmly picked up after it flopped from the ceiling of the boat on to her shirt
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The Problem with Large Boats
“Every year, boats are getting bigger and bigger.” Numerous people told me this on both the Tennessee River and Mississippi. In our experience, there is an inverse relationship to the size/power of a boat and the respect shown by the driver of it.
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The Tennessee River’s dams turn it into a series of lakes
The Tennessee River’s dams turn it into a series of lakes
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Making pie crust when it is 90 degrees is a frustrating experience
Making pie crust when it is 90 degrees is a frustrating experience
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Vaughn Loveday makes beautiful muzzle loader rifles
Vaughn Loveday makes/carves/metalsmiths/inlays beautiful muzzle loader rifles. But this one is a beautiful old Tennessee original. We decide there are far too few firearms on the #shantyboat via Instagram
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Vaughn Loveday had childhood stories of people living on shantyboats along the Little Tennessee River
Vaughn Lovejoy had childhood stories of people living on shantyboats along the Little Tennessee River. #shantyboat
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Vaughn Goodson, our trip angel who we met in his simple shantyboat…
Vaughn Goodson, our trip angel who we met in his simple #shantyboat, found us food, fuel, stories, connections, friendship, and several pounds of fresh delicious bass. via Instagram
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Squirlsey petrified with fright
Squirlsey petrified with fright after the #shantyboat encounter with big water via Instagram