{"title":"Gus S. Kasper","description":"\u003cp\u003eGus Kasper first began researching the history of steamboats on Virginia’s Mattaponi River in 2016. His interest in the subject led him to write his undergraduate thesis on how the invention of the automobile and the Good Roads Movement led to the decline of Walkerton, a once thriving port town on the Mattaponi. Kasper went on to serve as Executive Director of the Steamboat Era Museum from 2023 to 2025 where he began writing his first book, \u003cem\u003eSteamboats on the York River and Her Tributaries.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"york-river","title":"Steamboats on the York River and Her Tributaries","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiscover the forgotten history of steamboats along Virginia’s York River and learn how these floating hotels shaped local trade and Tidewater culture.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough they are now all but forgotten, steamboats were once an incredibly important part of life along the York and her tributaries, the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Carrying both freight and passengers, these vessels often featured elegant interiors and functioned as floating hotels with large dining rooms and refined saloons. They were also the driving force behind the local economy, since it was by steamboat that farmers shipped their crops and livestock to market and how merchants imported manufactured goods to the local area from cities like Baltimore.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA great variety of stories are included in this first history on the subject, some of which are sad and occasionally tragic, although most are upbeat and happy; when taken together they demonstrate that the presence of steamboats in this area not only provided an integral part of Virginia’s transportation network but also became a vibrant and unique part of Tidewater culture themselves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/gus-s-kasper\"\u003eGus S. Kasper\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Railways","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42524518187090,"sku":"9781634996556","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781634996556.jpg?v=1785057686"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.through-time.com\/collections\/gus-s-kasper.oembed","provider":"America Through Time","version":"1.0","type":"link"}