river
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One of the last mom and pop stores
After World War II around 1955, my dad got a job with TVA. He would have made a lot more money but he wanted to do something else. So he opened up a small country store in Courtland Alabama.
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Susan Stewart’s grandpa was chief clerk on a packet boat around 1910
Susan Stewart’s grandpa was chief clerk on a packet boat around 1910
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In a land of mostly dry fountains, Florence got it going on
In a land where the previous generations’ civic hardscaping have devolved into dry fountains most everywhere, Florence Alabama’s got it going on
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Join us for a Secret History exhibition at Kennedy Douglass Center for the Arts in Florence AL. Opening reception Friday at 5:30pm and artist talk Sunday 1-3pm. Shantyboat Open House at Florence Harbor Marina Friday 2-4pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday and Monday 4pm-7pm.#shantyboat #art #alabama #exhibitions #socialpractice (http://ift.tt/2aRiGzw)
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Family Shantyboat Photos
One of the many folks we met in Florence Alabama shared these photos of their family shantyboat with us.
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Times Daily: Telling secrets: California artist gathers river stories from a shanty
Times Daily By Monica Collier For four days, Friday through Monday, the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts and Florence Harbor and Marina will host Wes Modes and “A Secret History of American River People.” Modes, an artist and oral historian from Santa Cruz, California, has been traveling American rivers in a 1940s era recreated shanty…
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Tennessee River trash pouring out of the mouth of Sweetwater Creek
Tennessee River covered in trash ironically pouring out of the mouth of Sweetwater Creek. Perhaps @ijamsnaturecenter should introduce @florencealabama to their trash booms
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Tiny tiny shantyboat 93 feet down at the bottom of Wilson Lock and Dam
Tiny tiny shantyboat 93 feet down at the bottom of Wilson Lock and Dam. Thanks to Gino, one of the lock staff, for the photo
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Florence Courier-Journal: The River’s Life and People
A rustic recreated 1940s shanty boat, 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, California artist Wes Modes is currently floating his homemade houseboat down the historic Tennessee River.
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Cara introduced me to the concept of Meat and Two
Cara introduced me to the concept of Meat and 2. Meat and 2 sides
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When we boated up a creek to this little town, you’ll never believe what happened.
We boated up a creek as close to a nearby little town as we could get, still a 20 minute walk away to get much-needed propane and fuel. I bet Jeremiah that we could get there in less than 20 minutes hitchhiking, even with the wait. The moment we stepped into the road, before we’d…
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Waiting for the crowds to subside, cocktail hour and dominos with Jeremiah
Waiting for the crowds to subside, cocktail hour and dominos with @dudicusmaximus
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A Morning with Zachary Nelson
We ran into Zach Nelson while we were docked at Brickyard Marina. He brought over his 72 year-old grandfather Joe who told us stories while Zach played our shantyboat guitar.
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In the far away land of Alabama there are electrical outlets in public places
In the far away land of Alabama there are electrical outlets in public places such as parks, buildings and patios. Apparently they are not terrified that homeless people will charge their cell phones. People here don’t believe us when we say that this doesn’t happen where we come from
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We thought we might fit under the train bridge at Decatur AL
Train bridge Decatur AL. We thought at first we might fit under. Not so much
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Passing the time with the song game on the way to Decatur
Passing the time with the song game on the way to Mussel Shoals
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Cocktail hour! Next on the Shantyboat Guys!
Cocktail hour! Next on the Shantyboat Guys with @dudicusmaximus
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Thanks to Ditto Landing for hosting us in Huntsville
Thanks to Ditto Landing for hosting us in Huntsville, especially director Brandi Quick
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WAFF Huntsville: Shanty floating down the TN seeking hidden histories of river people
Get close enough to the Tennessee river, you can hear it’s story. But you can only learn so much, standing on the shore. If you’ve been on the banks the past week in North Alabama, you may have noticed a tiny shack floating down the river. No matter what you may think about the odd…
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An Interview with the Arsenal Archaeologist
I had the opportunity to interview Ben Hoksbergen, archaeologist for the Redstone Arsenal. He took us upriver in his boat to several artifact sites and up to Paint Rock near the Guntersville Dam to see prehistoric paintings on the rock.
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WVLT Knoxville: Shanty boat tours America’s rivers via Knoxville
It’s a hot summer day on Knoxville’s Volunteer Landing and an old mountain shack rolls up to the dock. Right out of the Beverly Hillbillies.
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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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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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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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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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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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![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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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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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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![Crazy rainstorm forces us off the river [PANORAMA]](https://peoplesriverhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/1468691935.jpg)
Crazy rainstorm forces us off the river [PANORAMA]
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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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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![Fort Louden Locks [Panorama]](https://peoplesriverhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/IMG_1563-1.jpg)
Fort Louden Locks [Panorama]
Fort Louden Lock (Scroll right →) Locking down at the Fort Louden Dam, lowers the shantyboat 72 feet. [codepeople-post-map]
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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
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Big boats with huge engines are a big problem
Big boats with huge engines are a big problem on American rivers. They erode the shoreline and are a safety hazard for small boats. Numerous people have told us that every year boats get bigger and bigger. #shantyboat via Instagram
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High seas mean waves wash over the deck
High seas mean waves wash over the deck of the #shantyboat and occasionally into the cabin. By high seas we really mean the wake of other boaters. #thanksnothanks via Instagram
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Clay piloting the shantyboat in high seas
@clayduda piloting the #shantyboat in high seas. via Instagram
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Ben Duncan, age 91, owner and proprietor of Duncan’s Boat Dock
Ben Duncan, age 91, owner and proprietor of Duncan’s Boat Dock near Knoxville TN. Duncan’s has been there since 1944, created when the TVA flooded the valley. The #ShantyBoat docked here for the night. via Instagram
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Sitting at Duncan’s Boat Dock in the shade with a beer
Sitting at Duncan’s Boat Dock in the shade with a beer, Hazel dog, the delightful Benzy, #ShantyBoat docked, boats drifting in and out of the marina. Thanks @clayduda via Instagram
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Swimming in the Tennesse River
Swimming in the Tennesse River. #ShantyBoat #ShantyboatLife via Instagram
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Thanks mom for the champagne. Mimosas to celebrate our departure from Knoxville
Thanks @klassykat68 for the champagne. #Shantyboat mimosas to celebrate our departure from Knoxville. #GrapefruitMimosas via Instagram
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Out on a trash run with Jake Hudson of Ijams Knoxville TN
Out on a trash run with Jake Hudson of Ijams Knoxville TN. #Shantyboat via Instagram
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Jake Hudson who told stories of river clean up on the Tennessee River
Jake Hudson who told stories of river clean up on the Tennessee River. #secrethistory via Instagram
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Betty Goins childhood houseboat in which she grew up
Betty Goins childhood houseboat in which she grew up. #shantyboat via Instagram
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Interview with Betty Goins who grew up in a shantyboat
#secrethistory interview with Betty Goins who grew up in a shantyboat where the French Broad and the Holsten empty into the Tennessee River. “Y’all ready to hear about mah good life on the river? Well, Ah’m ready to tell it.” via Instagram
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Another Thursday evening in Knoxville TN
Another Thursday evening in Knoxville TN. #shantyboat via Instagram
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Vaughn and his brother Blue in their #shantyboat just down from the French Broad.
Vaughn and his brother Blue in their #shantyboat just down from the French Broad. via Instagram
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Train bridge over the Tennessee River
Train bridge over the Tennessee River. #shantyboat via Instagram
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Knoxville, Tennessee
We are in beautiful Knoxville, Tennessee where the weather is perfectly warm, the water is cool, there are afternoon summer rain showers, and the people talk with a slow drawl. We arrived on Saturday with no major incidents to our surprise. High-fives were in order.
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Come get high with us party for Jesus
Come get high with us party for Jesus. #shantyboat via Instagram
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Swimming in the Tennessee River at the end of a runway
Swimming in the Tennessee River at the end of a runway. @gooddoghazel watching from the bluff. #shantyboat via Instagram
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Farting Around Muscatine and a Sudden Road Trip
We explore small town Iowa life and take a brief break to head back to Minnesota.
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The Final Fate of the Shantyboat Dotty and a Question
What became of us? What became of the Shantyboat Doty? Did the shantyboat sink? Did Hazel, our ships mate, and I have to swim to shore? Did we have to survive on chestnuts and wild mushrooms on an uncharted island in the middle of a remote part of the Mississippi River?
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Mark Twain’s Favorite View of the River
In Muscatine, Iowa there is a point overlooking the river said to be Mark Twain’s favorite. Point overlooking Muscatine (Scroll right →) I never know how much credence to put into such things as people have told me variously that they were at the widest point in the river, the deepest point, the tightest bend,…
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Adventures on the Other Side
In which we reveal a possible obsession with bridges to complement our well-known obsession with personal narrative
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Seriously, What Have We Learned?
An excerpt from an academic journal in which I attempt to analyze it all
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Facing a New Day of Bad News
In which we discover that things don’t look good, though — since we have a good imagination — we can see that they could always be worse.
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A Day of Danger, A Time of Troubles
An Aggressively Friendly Man. Big Big Waves. Serious Engine Trouble. Adrift! Out of danger.
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Heeeello? This is Iowa
We meet an angel. We are famous. A slew of interviews. Fresh apple pie. A storm sends us spinning.
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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.
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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
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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…
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Two Nuns, A Gambler, and an Heiress walk onto a boat…
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…