Journal, Steamer De Smet, Trip No. 4

Collection

Identifier: M548

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Collection contains a handwritten, daily record of the events for the riverboat De Smet traveling on the Missouri River from Saint Louis, Missouri to Fort Benton, Montana and the return trip (1873). Topics include: 170 tons of freight, mostly for Fort Benton, the balance for Sioux City and points below; some passengers names; riverboat temporarily seized at Fort Benton, where Capt. Joseph La Barge was charged with selling whiskey at Indian reservations. Collection also available on microfilm (C MSS Mflm126).

Dates

May 13 – August 1, 1873

Creator

Mottaz, Alexis C.1852-1931. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Copyright

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from material in the collection should be discussed with the appropriate librarian or archivist. Permission for publication may be given on behalf of the Denver Public Library as the owner of the physical item. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained by the customer. The Library does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights of the manuscript held by the writer, heirs, donors, or executors. Reproduction restrictions are decided on a case-by-case basis.

Biographical / Historical

The riverboat DeSmet was built and piloted by famed captain, Joseph LaBarge (1815-1899). The captain named the steamer after his friend, Father Pierre Jean DeSmet (1801-1873), who was a Belgian Roman Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) active in missionary work among the Indians of the Midwestern and Western United States in the mid-19th century. The DeSmet one of the last side-wheel steamers to navigate the upper Missouri to Fort Benton, Montana.