"This book documents the life and times, as well as the scientific excavation and analysis, of the largest mountain river steamer the American Rocky Mountains and the High Plains West ever witnessed. Among a handful of ships built to compete with the increasing popularity of the railroads, the Montana was a shining example of modern design when it made its maiden voyage in 1879. In its day the ship attracted attention because of its audacious size and technological sophistication. It is remembered now for its ironic end: a mere five years after it first set sail, the Montana struck a railroad bridge near Bridgeton, Missouri, and sank." "Even after its demise, the Montana remains unique as one of a small sample of scientifically studied western river steamboats. The archaeological team directed in part by Bradley Rodgers and assembled by East California University and SGI Engineering, Inc., took great care to comprehensively document the great steamboat. Their painstaking work has resulted in this re-creation of the majestic vessel as told through the lens of interdisciplinary study. The Steamboat Montana and the Opening of the West combines historic archaeology, written records, and uniquely personal observations made by the authors. This approach guides readers through the ship's story with a wealth of written and visual material documenting its construction, use, and wreck. This is a thorough examination of the development of Missouri River steamboat trade and its relationship to western expansion in America."--BOOK JACKET.