Synopsis
Presents a phase of pioneer agricultural economy in the early nineteenth century. Portrays Ohio Valley farmers as they fell trees, prepare the lumber, and build a flatboat to carry their produce down the river to market.
Uploader's description on archive.org
Details
- Running time
- 10 minutes
- Collection
- Prelinger Archives
Reviews on the Internet Archive
★★★ · Better Than That BOAT Ya Got There! · Christine Hennig · 2006-09-01
This ERPI film profiles Ohio Valley farmers of the early 19th century, and how they would take their products to market on handmade flatboats. This gets a bit livelier than the usual ERPI fare, as they allow the flatboatmen to speak in several scenes, and boy, are they characters. These historical ERPI films that try to recreate the way people lived at various points in American history are starting to grow on me. They did these recreations fairly well considering that they probably didnât have much of a budget to work with. Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest…
★★★ · Hey, nice hemp you got there. · Ray Double · 2005-08-10
After watching this 10 minute film, I feel like I've been on a slow boat to New Orleans. Historically, I think the time frame for the film is in the early to mid 1800's, before the War of Nothern Agression. It mentions the "frontier" and the Ohio Valley, which means the War of 1812 or so. As for the accents, pure mid-western Hollywood. No Louisiana talk here. After selling their goods in NOLA, then the boats are sold for the timber and then these men walk back home along the Natchez Trace. As far as the hemp remark from Spuz and me, you'll have to watch the film. Not a bad film, just a little…
★★ · Ma, We is a Goin' Away For a Spell · Dodsworth the Cat · 2025-12-18
This is an odd Encyclopaedia Britannica film as it has live sound in places, instead of the usual post-production loops (when there is anything but narration). It's a period piece showing Uncle Gummy and others building a raft and rolling down the river. They never reach their destination because that would require sets to be built re-creating the era. There are no dangers. It's a pretty boring trip other than meeting up with a yokel on the shore. Playing Yankee Doodle on a fiddle in the South? Uh, sure.