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Born in St. Louis, the home state of Sam Clemens, T.S. Eliot, and Tennessee Williams, Lee Hendrix was enthralled by the Mississippi River at a young age. In 1972, he boarded his first towboat as a deckhand, slinging mops and lifting heavy rigging, and by 1976 he achieved his first license. Over the course of his career, Lee has worked as an educator, led canoe trips and river-clean ups, worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and piloted riverboats along the Mississippi River and other rivers across the United States. Lee earned a First-Class Pilot License for 2,300 miles of river during his time piloting the DELTA, MISSISSIPPI and AMERICAN QUEEN. He also served as both Pilot and Captain of the MV MISSISSIPPI, the largest river towboat in the world. Today, Lee lives in Lake City and is considered a “riverlorian,” having written several published stories and essays about the river. Join us for a History Break where he discusses his 51 years working along the Mississippi River and his book, Peep Light: Stories of a Mississippi River Boat Captain.
