Many are those who have lived on the shores of the mighty Mississippi River and its tributaries. When Europeans arrived in the southern river valley, Native Americans were forced to relocate. Spanish armies marched through, and French colonizers brought slavery to the cotton plantations that spawned booming river towns. European settlers pushed west, but the people without money to travel on or buy land lived on the river itself. They sold driftwood they found, fish they caught, or brew from a bootlegger’s still. These people became known as ‘river rats.’ Few river rats are left these days - you’re just in time to join producer Martha Hawley for a river journey to meet these proud people.

Many are those who have lived on the shores of the mighty Mississippi River and its tributaries. When Europeans arrived in the southern river valley, Native Americans were forced to relocate. Spanish armies marched through, and French colonizers brought slavery to the cotton plantations that spawned booming river towns. European settlers pushed west, but the people without money to travel on or buy land lived on the river itself. They sold driftwood they found, fish they caught, or brew from a bootlegger’s still. These people became known as ‘river rats.’ Few river rats are left these days - you’re just in time to join producer Martha Hawley for a river journey to meet these proud people.