April 8, 2024 - River Museum, Vicksburg
 
I checked out downtown Vicksburg and decided to stop in at the Lower Mississippi River Museum.
   
Part of the museum is this fully restored, dry docked riverboat, the Motor Vessel Mississippi.
 
It is a diesel-powered vessel with an all-steel superstructure. Powered by two 8-cylinder engines, each of 1860 horsepower, for extra maneuverability it used controllable pitch propellers which allowed it to generate a reverse thrust of over 70% in the forward direction. The four levels on the superstructure are the main deckhouse, second deckhouse, Texas deckhouse, and the pilothouse. It served as a towboat and inspection vessel until decommissioned in 1993.[3] On September 26, 2007 it was moved to its permanent location on land at the museum.
   
Loyal readers know I like to fly the rivers, so I liked this lighted map of main rivers off of the Mississippi.  I've flown many of them and parts of some of them.  But I still need to do the Arkansas and Illinois.
   
In the beginning there was the dugout canoe.
   
Then river rafts.
   
Then flatboats.
   
A major upgrade to the side-wheel steamer.
   
Cotton steamers.
   
I saw many such levees when I flew the Mississippi River in 2020:  Link.
   
This chart really illustrates how transporting goods by sea is far more efficient that rail or truck.
   
Put another way..
   
The museum is right on the river, with some interesting looking interactive exhibits outside.
   
Driving through Vicksburg.
   

Looking up at the Old Court House Museum.   Historic antebellum & Civil War artifacts are displayed at this museum housed in an 1859 courthouse.  I did not have time to check it out though.
   
A typical southern mansion overlooking the Mississippi River.
   
 
   
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