Field Reports
Deeper dives into the journey—reflections, encounters, and unfolding narratives from the riverbanks. The long view of a life afloat.
-
A Day of Danger, A Time of Troubles
An Aggressively Friendly Man. Big Big Waves. Serious Engine Trouble. Adrift! Out of danger.
-
Heeeello? This is Iowa
We meet an angel. We are famous. A slew of interviews. Fresh apple pie. A storm sends us spinning.
-
Mini Stories from Clinton, Iowa
Clinton Marina History My Grandmother owed and operated the Marina that you are at right now until the 1970s. It was called the Anchorage then. Her name was Agnes (Schrader) Lutz. Everyone called her “Aggie”. She fished, hunted, made her own fish nets and decoys. She was named the first queen of our 4th of…
-
A Teeny Tiny Journey Through History
It is only by the good grace of God, that I am not holed up in a garage somewhere right now adding grimy details with a double ought paintbrush to a tiny little building of my own tiny imaginary town.
-
Twin Towns of Gritty Charm and Regret
A reality TV star, a gay couple, a 12-year old hippy with an edge, and showers of vegetables and catfish
-
Rumors of the Death of Drive-Ins Greatly Exagerated
While we were in Galena I got a wild hair. I knew there was a drive-in somewhere around and thought it would be a fun family outing. When one of the girls told us excitedly that she’d never been to a drive-in that decided it. The drive-in was almost 40 miles away, but hey, you…
-
Life with the Party People of Galena
We came to Galena for the day and stayed for four nights, meeting new friends, and someone we were supposed to meet a year ago. And we learned that there ain’t no party like a Galena sandbar boat party.
-
The Magic of the Lock 11 Fishing Barge
Ed told us we absolutely have to go up around by the dam and check out the fishing barge, which he described as kind of a fishing pier, a bar, a restaurant (sorta), and a bait and tackle shop. I don’t know what I was picturing, possibly a mellow park setting and a touristy bar/restaurant,…
-
Hazel on the River
Since Hazel has a more devoted following than the project, we offer a view of Hazel’s adventures on the river.
-
Setbacks, the Musical – A Nautical Tragicomedy
The scene opens with the newly recruited shipsmates standing in a regimented line in order of height. The SKIPPER looks at his shipsmates affectionately and takes the iDEVICE out of his pocket to take a photograph.
-
Two Nuns, A Gambler, and an Heiress walk onto a boat… (updated)
We’ve been the talk of the town to some degree. Dozens of people have made their way to the docks at the National Mississippi River Museum to check out our shantyboat. Many of them were clutching the article that came out in the Telegraph Herald last Friday. A lot of places we go, people ask…
-
National Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque
The shantyboat is in Dubuque at the National Mississippi River Museum. The project is exhibiting and people are checking it out. I ask kids a simple question, and the reaction I get is split.
-
The Real Reason We’re Here
Naturally, the adventure down the river, the playful interactions of the crew, the observations about the river and river culture are the sexiest most interesting part of the Secret History journey. The project is at heart about listening, to the river, to the rhythms of our journey, and to the people in the places we…
-
A Brief Visit to Harper’s Ferry and a Mysterious Man
We meet a mysterious man in a historic town, but not the one you are thinking of.
-
-
An Unexpected Accident, Clamming Goldrush, and Bald Eagles in Lansing
A breakfast disaster, repairs, an interview with a clammer, and a trip to see bald eagles coming to a McDonalds dumpster near you.
-
The Night of the Biblical Plagues
We try to be just and virtuous people, but God knows the mind of the divine is mysterious and unknowable. And thus one evening in Lansing, Iowa He brought down his wrath upon us, perhaps because we had drunk two too many White Russians and did not even offer Him a cocktail.
-
Inside the Shantyboat through the Driftless Area
A tour of the shantyboat and the Misssissippi’s unique Driftless Area
-
Shantyboat Guys New Episodes!
On the shantyboat we are 24 hours in each other’s hair in a 10′ by 8′ space, so we get a little punchy. What started as a story about a production company trying to make the non-drama of the Secret History expeditions into something cinematic and dramaful, turned into a silly idea.
-
Introducing The Shantyboat Guys!
A few years ago when I was working on the shantyboat and keeping a build blog detailing the build, I got a call from a New York production company interested in a reality TV show about people living in homemade boats. They were calling it…
-
Fellow Workers
I was sitting with Jeremiah in the Donboat under a tree in a backwater of the Mississippi and we were quietly listening to a recording of Utah Phillips while sitting and watching the changing sky and its echo in the still water. Here are some influences to the project.
-
The Story of the Donboat
We brought the Painted Pig, a small johnboat we bought in the Bay Area. When we put it in the water we found it was about as rigid as a pie tin and as stable as a top. With one person in it, the water line was a few scant inches from the gunnel and…
-
Louise and the Winona Backwaters
A promised date with Louise results in a shantyboat tour of the backwaters of Winona.
-
Two Prairie Island Indian Community Interviews
I had the tremendous honor of interviewing two members of the Prairie Island Indian Community, part of the Mdewakanton Sioux band (“people born of the water”), located just north of Red Wing.
-
A Word About Hazel Dog
Of course you know our ships hound Hazel. Did you know she has her own Twitter and Instagram feed? Hazel’s Tweets Hazel’s Instagram
-
We lost Amy, Minnesota recycling, and missing contacts
e lost Amy. Somewhere between last summer’s fieldwork and this spring, Amy went missing. She was with us at the end of last summer’s voyage when we were using her to communicate to barges and locks. Jeremiah has reason to think she was stolen at some point.
-
Showing Off the Shantyboat in the Twin Cities
We were fortunate to have the opportunity to exhibit twice in the Twin Cities over as many days. One was at the Minnesota History Center as part of Nine Nights of Music. The other was at the St. Paul Yacht Club as part of a River City Revue. The History Center is like an enormous…
-
Two Great Interviews in the Twin Cities
All and all, it was an amazing and emotionally exhausting day that came closer to my desire to highlight contested history, resistance, histories that didn’t make the establishment narrative, and stories about women, people of color, and non-dominant cultures.
-
An Afternoon Thunderstorm
A summer rainstorm blows in while we are in the tin-roofed shantyboat in the St Paul Yacht Club in St Paul MN.
-
Down to St. Paul and Out in a Storm
A lock and dam, a sacred place, and then out on the river in a small boat in a pounding rain storm.
-
Mississippi Launch and an Evening Expedition
Another blowout, a launch, a full house, an expedition, a bonfire, and a wedding.
-
A Midnight Journey to the Bone Yard
The potholes were deep, nearly as deep as our growing fear. Trees loomed on either side. Thunderclouds threatened on the horizon. Hazel dog was unaccountably agitated. We flew down the Iowan country road through thick fields of fireflies, a kind of hillbilly hyperspace.
-
Roadtrips are always more interesting when your wheels fall off
As we were about to hit the road, a lady in the car in front of us was irritatingly gesticulating at us. What could this lady possibly want? What was she trying to tell us? Another person who wants to stop us o give us an enthusiastic thumbs up about the shantyboat? Jeremiah went to…
-
River City Revue — People of the River
Are you in or near Minneapolis? See the Secret History project. Wednesday, July 1st, 7-9PM Saint Paul Yacht Club on Harriet Island Get Tickets & Details Here! Featuring ‘A Secret History of American River People,’ an art and history project created by digital and new media artist Wes Modes: https://peoplesriverhistory.org/ Walk the docks of Saint Paul Yacht…
-
24 Hours
Tomorrow morning early we pull out of Santa Cruz towing the shantyboat. The journey has not yet begun, yet I’m so tired I could lay down my paintbrush and take a nap right now. This kind of tiredness is big the kind of tired fixed with a night’s rest, but the kind of tired from…
-
Dry Docking the Shantyboat
In preparation for our journey to the Mississippi River in a few days, we had some work to do on the shantyboat. The hull needed painting and the motor well needed to be resealed so we needed to put the boat up in dry dock.
-
24 Hours and Gory Details
Just 24 hours and just over $1000 to go on the kickstarter! We’re almost there. So close, we can taste it.
-
Readying Shantyboat and Other Trip Details
So while the Kickstarter has been doing its thing and we’ve been trying to promote it and talk you into sharing it with your friends, family, strangers, etc. (It’s not too late!) we’ve been hard at work making sure the expedition will be successful. Every weekend for the last several months Jeremiah, James and I…
-
A Request to Tell a Friend or Three
Thanks for your support of A Secret History of American River People. We received a huge vote of confidence from Kickstarter when we became Friday’s Staff Pick. The campaign started off great guns, staff pick, great video from Regina Ortinez, lots of attention, but slowing now a bit. We really want to make sure we are able…
-
Secret History Summer 2015 Kickstarter
We are excited to announce the Secret History Upper Mississippi Expedition Kickstarter! Thanks to your support, last summer we traveled across country with the Shantyboat to the Mississippi River and spent a month gathering stories of river people. We interviewed dozens of folks, adventures, scientists, storytellers, river rats, boathouse people. Then we came back and…
-
The Producer’s Log: MFA Exhibition Reportback
Introducing Regina Ortanez who has been working as a producer on the Secret History project for the entire academic year. This is an excerpt from her production journal during the MFA exhibition.
-
Introducing Freddie
You remember last year when we were on the river with Mr. Johnson? We got him a friend. We want to introduce you to Freddie.
-
2015 Summer Voyage on Upper Mississippi
Starting in late June, the Secret History shantyboat will be back on the Upper Mississippi River for a series of exhibitions and an entire summer of fieldwork gathering river stories.
-
What happened to the last 5 months?
Grad school. That’s what. MFA Exhibition prep. Reading books. Production of the Secret History web doc. Working with the production team. That’s where. Whew. Okay, so I can take a deep breath. I just finished with the four day UCSC Digital Art and New Media MFA exhibition in which I and 11 other artists exhibited…
-
Meet the Production Team
Meet the production team that helped make the Secret History of American River People web documentary.
-
Maiden Launch (vintage remix)
The shantyboat Dotty’s maiden launch. Dropping a completely untested boat into one of the largest rivers on the continent.
-
Jessica Bierbrauer and the Future River
Jessica Bierbrauer, director of the Great River Road Visitor & Learning Center in Prescott WI, talks about the future of the river.
-
John Sullivan and Fish Kills
John Sullivan, retired DNR officer in La Crosse WI, talks about river water quality and battling sources of pollution.
-
Kali Arlene and Latsch Island
Kali Arlene, Latsch Island boathouse resident in Winona MN, talks about living on the river and interactions with the people who live in town.
-
(Frozen) Water Under the Bridge
A week on the Mississippi River in the dead of winter results in some delightful and productive meetings.
-
La Crosse Boathouses
Down in La Crosse for the day, I hung out for a bit where boathouses line both banks along the partially frozen Black River.
-
An Intense Winter Fieldwork Trip
Tomorrow I am leaving for Minnesota and Wisconsin for a week of intense interviewing. 14 interviews in 6 days. Along with river experts, artists, and community engagement people, I hope to be talking to Hmong, Vietnamese, African-American, and Prairie Island Indian folk who are connected with the river. Along with all my cold weather gear,…
-
Shantyboat at FIGMENT Oakland
A Secret History exhibited at FIGMENT in Oakland, a one day art festival that brings Burning Man values of creative expression, gift economy, and participation to our urban environment.
-
The Producer’s Journal: Catching up
A note about the Producer’s Journals: They make either super awesome insider geek info or the most boring blog ever, depending on your inclination. Your mileage may vary. So if you are the type of person who watches the Making Of segment after the main feature on the DVD, read on… I was getting stern…
-
The Producers Journal: A Week of Amnesia and Delirium
It was a strange week of going through the motions with a strange kind of stoner consciousness. A delirium possibly due to just pure information overload.
-
Beautiful People I’ve Interviewed
With help from numerous people who work and live on the Mississippi River, I am creating an ongoing digital archive of personal histories. These are just some of the people I interviewed as part of A Secret History of American River People.
-
History of Flatboating and a Charming Educational Film
A very brief history on the evolution of river craft from flatboats, store boats, and shantyboats.
-
Secret History Shantyboat Exhibiting in November
At two art exhibits in November, the shantyboat will be on display, with the Secret History archive and library on exhibit within.
-
Unusual photos of the Shantyboat
Two unusual portraits of the shanyboat from inside, one a panorama and the other an interactive frozen moment.
-
Support For This Project
We had a successful fundraiser which covered a portion of the expected costs, but particularly challenging were some of the sneaky show-must-go-on surprise costs. We could use your financial support.
-
PA’s Diary #2, lovingly entitled A Leaf on the Wind
The Production Assistant’s report, a lock and dam, a cute town with no river rats, and a storm.
-
This River Life Drawing to a Close
For weeks and miles people have been asking us, “How far you going?” and really we had no way to answer that question. We had no idea how far we’d get. We knew, however, that we had limited time.
-
Brownsville Boathouses
After La Crosse, we made our way down to Brownsville where there are several groups of boathouses. Boathouses are houses that float, differentiated from houseboats which are mobile.
-
Jim Ehrsam and Other People Not Interviewed
On the day before we were leaving La Crosse I met a man who’d lived in his boathouse on the Black River for 65 years. It kills me that I didn’t have the time to interview him, though we did sit for a while and watch the sunset. I’ve found it takes about three days to set up…
-
A Night in Winona and the Production Assistant’s Report
A report back by PA Jeremiah upon his departure at La Cross, Wisconsin
-
![Small and Not So Small Town Press [Updated]](https://peoplesriverhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/5D3_0978_0-672x372.jpg)
Small and Not So Small Town Press [Updated]
We’ve done our best to try to let people know we are coming downriver. Some of the local press have picked up our story.
-
Typical Shantyboat Questions and Answers
Within minutes of arriving at the town docks, we have visitors. Our conversations follows a typical pattern kinda like this.
-
Charming La Crosse, Wisconsin and a Theory About the Uneven Distribution of Social Capital
A sprained ankle, a man in a bowler hat, charming downtown La Crosse, Mr. Johnson acts up, and a theory about social connectivity
-
Into the Storm on the Open River
Unless we survive this storm. We are anchored on a long northwest reach in a stiff northwest wind with waves whipping up around us. The anchor is holding for the moment. How did we get here?
-
Electronics Are Not Waterproof (URGENT)
URGENT SITUATION: My iphone took at drink in the Mississippi River. I rely on it for all the work I do on the Secret History project (research, connections, internet connectivity) and I need a replacement desperately.
-
-
Stuck on a Sandbar, Civil Defense, and Flying Predators
While making our way downriver, we saw lots of barges that were hung up waiting for a dredging operation around Alma. We found the mothership of tugboats. This one was enormous, with all the little tugs suckling at it like piglets. It is hard to convey the scale of this boat. We also encountered working barges…
-
A Watery Death on Lake Pepin Narrowly Averted
The sun was shining and the wind was still and the waters were calm on legendarily treacherous Lake Pepin so we started drinking white Russians, what could possibly go wrong?
-
A High Speed Water Chase, Flyswatting, and Madness
We venture on to Lake Pepin where we encounter both miracles and madness
-
Engine Solutions, Party in the Lock, River Days, and a 97 Year Old Woman
More of the generosity of strangers in Prescott, WI and Red Wing, MN. A small town celebration and meeting lots and lots of great people.
-
Mike’s Shantyboat
Mike Mosedale is a great fella I met in St. Paul at the River City Review a few weeks ago. Since then I’ve adopted him as a great friend. He’s generously dumped on us all kinds of sweetness — oars and cleats for the Dottie, an old fishing pole, beers, great stories.
-
Engine Troubles, Burger Lexicon, A Theft, and Much Generosity
St. Paul, MN to Prescott, WI and the many awesome people we met as well as a story of grievous mischief and unimagined generosity.
-
First Few Days on the River
We’ve had our first few days on the river. We went through out first few locks! Amazing. Especially going down, like being in a giant bathtub when someone pulls the plug. [KGVID width=”640″ height=”640″]http://peoplesriverhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_3563.mov[/KGVID] We met friends at 34th St beach where Robnoxious hosted a lovely going away party for the crew of the Secret…
-
-
Living on the Shantyboat
Here are a few shantyboat details minutes before our departure from Boom Island.
-
Send Off Party
Our Minneapolis friends are organizing us a Shantyboat Send Off Party Saturday evening 7pm at 34th St. beach In SW Minneapolis! Come see the boat, the crew, and hazel the dog! Camp fire & beers. Feel free to bring a bon voyage gift! Such needed things as AA & AAA batteries, rope, cornmeal, gallons of…
-
Shantyboat Runabout
Today we powered up Mr. Johnson and motored about in the tiny Boom Island marina we have been moored at since we launched. Hazel and I crossed under the pedestrian bridge and out into the wider river.
-
Shantyboat Open House
Drop on by to check out the Shantyboat, share stories, and browse the growing Secret History library.
-
The Secret History Shantyboat is Afloat
This afternoon after two years of building, months of planning, and nearly a week of driving, we launched the shantyboat in Minneapolis.
-
15 Discoveries After Two Days of (nearly) Non-Stop Driving
Bug massacre, crossing the Rockies, mysterious cattle, new truck, two good diners, and making progress.
-
A Brief Tour of One Random Neighborhood in Salt Lake City
We found ourselves stranded on a Sunday in Salt Lake City and explored one nifty neighborhood.
-
For Your Information: The Rockies Are Big
In which our heroes discover that the Rocky Mountains eat heavy duty trucks for late night snack — We meet Chuck the all-day all-night tow truck driver who loves puppies — We travel up the Rocky Mountains at 15mph and back down at 70
-
Desert Crossing
Today was the day I had scheduled to be in Minneapolis. The world being what it is, we adapt our expectations to our real world experiences. Instead we are in the Nevada desert. The old truck struggles to pull our big windsail of a boat. I need to do more research for the oral history…
-
The Trouble With Building a Boat in California
Stuck in California needing a new radiator. We are trying to raise $2500 quick like to fix the truck and provide a tiny contingency fund.
-
A Series of Unfortunate Events
California, we love you, but please please let us achieve escape velocity. We are still in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is beer thirty and we are sitting coolly in the shantyboat on this hot hot day drinking tall cans of PBR, reading (Kai) and blogging (me). This morning we were woken…
-
Finally On Our Way
Our list of Must-Dos in the last few days was ridiculous. Finish the motor well, put cabinet doors on, plumb sink, pack, move in, and on and on. We delayed the trip first by a day then by several hours but finally after a half dozen exhausting long days almost got everything in shape for…
-
The Joys and Heartache of Saying Goodbye
With days left before our departure for the Secret History expedition, we hosted a launch party at the boatyard. We invited all the people who’ve worked on the boat over the last two years and who’ve supported the project.
-
Odds and Ends We Still Need
This is like a Secret History scavenger hunt whose items include your local paper and old people.
-
On the Eve of the Secret History Expedition
Our shantyboat nears completion and we are readying it for the Secret History of American River People expedition on the Upper Mississippi starting in a few days.
-
A Month of Fervent Preparation
It was a busy month making preparations for the soon-to-be-launched Secret History expedition and a time of extraordinary support from many quarters.
-
Minneapolis Reconnaissance
I have been in Minneapolis for the last week doing reconnaissance for our upcoming journey. Here is a selection of photographs from the trip.
-
How You Can Help
We’re scrambling to get the trip together by July, including making research connections at organizations and universities near the river. Outfitting the Shantyboat Rooted in the DIY and art worlds, by any real world standards, the Secret History project has a humble budget. However, we expect the project to require upwards of $10 thousand. Still looming are…
-
Shantyboat on the Mississippi
In July, we are bringing the shantyboat across country to launch in the Mississippi River on an art and history expedition: Thanks to espressobuzz for the historic photo A journey to rediscover the lost narratives of river people, river communities, and the river itself. Secret History is an anthro-historical artist’s journey through the history of…
-
Indebtedness
In no particular order, here is an ever-growing list of those who’ve helped make the project possible: Kai Dalgleish – First Mate on the Secret History Expedition for tremendous effort over two years to ready the shantyboat for the journey, for problem-solving acumen, and a can-do attitude. Dorothy and Lawrence Manzo – who generously offered…
-
