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Flatboat

Flatboat

A Flatboat is a rectangular boat with a flat bottom and square ends used to transport freight and passengers on inland waterways. The flatboat could be any size but, essentially, it is a large, sturdy tub with a hull that displaces water and so floats in the water; therefore, the flatboat is not a raft, which floats on the water. A flatboat was almost always a one-way vessel, and was usually dismantled for lumber when it reached its downstream destination. Varieties of flatboat in the early 19th century included the mid-range broadhorn and Kentucky boat, and the longer-range New Orleans boat, which was fully covered. An average of 3,000 flatboats descended the Ohio River each year between 1810 and 1820. Abraham Lincoln twice piloted a flatboat carrying produce to New Orleans, from Indiana in 1828 and from Illinois in 1831.

The flatboat continued in use even when the steamboat gained popularity because of the lower costs of building and of transport. Dams did away with the flatboat because the boats (having no mechanical power) could not be propelled into the locks.

See also

* Narrowboat
* Horse-drawn boat

References

*cite book|title=Warren County, Ohio and Beyond|last=Bogan|first=Dallas|year=1979|page=162

External links

* [http://crh.choate.edu/english/salot/Jolly%20Flatboatmen.jpgGeorge Caleb Bingham "Jolly Flatboatmen" c. 1857]

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Flatboat — Flat boat , n. A boat with a flat bottom and square ends; used for the transportation of bulky freight, especially in shallow waters. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • flatboat — (n.) 1650s, from FLAT (Cf. flat) (adj.) + BOAT (Cf. boat) (n.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • flatboat — [flat′bōt΄] n. a boat with a flat bottom, for carrying freight in shallow waters or on rivers …   English World dictionary

  • flatboat — noun Date: 1653 a boat with a flat bottom and square ends used for transportation of bulky freight especially in shallow waters …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • flatboat — a boat with a flat bottom used on calm waters such as a pond …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • flatboat — /flat boht /, n. a large, flat bottomed boat for use in shallow water, esp. on rivers. [1650 60; FLAT1 + BOAT] * * * …   Universalium

  • flatboat — noun A boxy, flat bottomed boat used for carrying livestock, freight, and people on rivers. See Also: barge …   Wiktionary

  • flatboat — (Roget s IV) n. Syn. barge, ferry, clam boat; see boat …   English dictionary for students

  • flatboat — n. boat with a flat bottom …   English contemporary dictionary

  • flatboat — noun a boat with a flat bottom for use in shallow water …   English new terms dictionary