In a very real way, Samuel Clemens cut his teeth on the Mississippi River as an apprentice steamboat captain in the late 1850s. Years later he would draw on these experiences for a number of the works he would write under the name, "Mark Twain". This multimedia website created at Northern Illinois University explores his time in and around Big Muddy through a number of interactive maps, historic images, and audio content. By clicking on the "Twain's Life and Works" section, visitors can read a number of essays written by Gregg Camfield of the University of the Pacific on such topics as the economic importance of the river during Twain's life, as well as other pieces on related topics. Moving along, visitors can perform detailed searches across the entire database and also listen to songs from the period, such as "Steamboat Bill".