How the Mississippi shantyboats helped build a culture

I do not know much about gods; but I think that the river Is a strong brown godsullen, untamed and intractable Dry Salvages, T. S. Eliot Long before Wes Modes began planning a journey down the Mississippi, he started building a traditional bargebottom houseboat in a California backyard out of rustic reclaimed materials old fences and chicken coops). Once his shantyboat was complete he hatched a plan to transport it across the country from Santa Cruz to Minnesota to begin a HuckFinn style journey down the iconic American river. Following in the footsteps of Harlan and Anna Hubbard, whose eightyear journey down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers was chronicled in Harlans book Shantytown, Modes launched his own float 70 years later. His Secret History of American River People is part personal adventure and part research project, collecting stories of river people along the banks. Complete with lofted bed, compost toilet and fullkitchen (propanepowered camp stove and p