Joseph Kinney: Steamboat Captain

As a young boy in the early 1800s, Joseph Kinney watched the riverboats carrying people and goods throughout the country and he dreamed of being a steamboat captain. When he grew up, Joseph bought a steamboat and became its captain, moving things up and down the river. Though Joseph had many jobs, he loved being a steamboat captain most of all. He began designing steamboats and had an idea for a design that made the boats even better. Steamboats built today still use Joseph Kinney’s design. This book is included in the nonfiction book series, Notable Missourians, for young readers in grades 4 to 6 about people who contributed to Missouri’s history or culture and who were born or lived in Missouri.