There were several different types of boats that were called flatboats. One was what we would probably call a raft, which was simply a lot of logs tied together. The more common type was a raft with a house like structure on it. Being that there was no method of guiding the boat, two men, one at the front and one at the rear, would each have a long pole that they put in the river to direct the boat. In that time period, there the rivers were very unpredictable. So, families would gather at the mouth of the river in the fall, build their boat during the cold months and wait for the spring rains. rassler@insightbb.com