H.G. “Chilli” Simpson of Charleston, Mo., a former Mizzou football player, began opening gas stations in southeast Missouri under the name Simpson Oil Company during the late 1920s and 1930s. Read More
Union Barge Line
Last week, the United States of America celebrated the Fourth of July in honor of the 249th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. One towboat that… Read More
Attending the Inland Marine Expo in Nashville, Tenn., recently, one of the highlights of the event was visiting with old friends. One of the first we ran into… Read More
Diesel-powered propeller towboats had been making great strides since the early 1920s with yards such as the Howards, Wards and Nashville Bridge, and it was only natural that Dravo… Read More
Nearly six decades ago today, on March 26, 1959, the 318-foot long steamer Sprague embarked on a journey from Vicksburg, Miss. The retired riverboat became a tourist attraction in 1948,… Read More
A young Dan Owen works on his towboat database. “Grab a pen,” Dan Owen barked gruffly, as if he were still the first mate on a Union Barge… Read More
