When America was a young country, many When America was a young country, many strong men drove keelboats down the strong men drove keelboats down the rivers carrying cargo.rivers carrying cargo.

Mike Fink was Mike Fink was the most the most

famous keelboat famous keelboat man of allman of all

► As an infant, he leaped As an infant, he leaped out of his crib and out of his crib and spotted keelboats and spotted keelboats and knew his destinyknew his destiny

► He got in shape by He got in shape by wrestling grizzlieswrestling grizzlies

► He became a keelboat He became a keelboat man after proving his man after proving his strength by kicking up strength by kicking up tidal waves and tidal waves and toppling treestoppling trees

Wearing a red Wearing a red feather identified feather identified you as the you as the strongest man on strongest man on board during this board during this time.time.

Many people Many people challenged Fink to challenged Fink to water races and sports water races and sports on land to win Mike’s on land to win Mike’s feather, but no one feather, but no one got the best of him.got the best of him.

Rumor has it Rumor has it that one that one time Mike time Mike Fink shot Fink shot the scalp the scalp lock from lock from the head of the head of an Indian an Indian

While Fink While Fink was was unloading his unloading his cargo one cargo one day, a day, a steamboat steamboat arrived. They arrived. They demanded demanded his removal. his removal. He refused, He refused, and the and the steamboat steamboat charged him. charged him. Fink’s boat Fink’s boat was was overwhelmed overwhelmed by water and by water and he died.he died.

ResourcesResources

►Mike FinkMike Fink by Steven Kellogg by Steven Kellogg►http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Finkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Fink►http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/gal/http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/gal/

steamboat.jpgsteamboat.jpg►docsouth.unc.edu docsouth.unc.edu ►http://library.syr.eduhttp://library.syr.edu►www.answers.comwww.answers.com►www.Myspace.comwww.Myspace.com