Museum Publishes Expanded Edition of Against the Tide
The Steamboat Era Museum is proud to announce the publication of a new edition of Against the Tide, the Turbulent Times of a Black Entrepreneur. Readers will find additional illustrations, newspaper articles and more in this second edition of the book in which, Julie H. Sullivan tells the story of her great-grandfather, Captain H.C. Bayton (1863-1927). Bayton was one of a very few African American steamboat captains who plied the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay during the Steamboat Era.
Through hard work and determination, Hansford C. Bayton rose from humble beginnings to become the captain and owner of two steamboats and two steam launches for excursions and mail delivery up and down the Rappahannock River during the late 1800s and early 1900s. He would acquire wealth and the respect of both blacks and whites. Nevertheless, his boats were burned one by one. But with each malicious burning, he would build again.
This book illuminates a time in American history when the surge of progress made by freedmen was sharply curtailed through the enactment of segregation laws and the activities of the Ku Klux Klan. As a result, Hansford C. Bayton died poor, but his story is one of dignified courage and determination when faced with overwhelming odds. Truly, he was a man who swam against the tide.
J.H. Sullivan, PhD, is the author of papers, two books, including Against the Tide, and is a full-time professor at Arizona State University, where she teaches healthcare ethics, community health and culture and health. She and her husband live in Scottsdale, AZ.
The 140-page illustrated book includes a forward by Ambassador Andrew J. Young, Jr. Published by the Steamboat Era Museum, it is now available for pre-publication sale at 20% off the retail price through November 20. The retail cost of the hardcover version is $29.99 and the softcover version $19.99. Books bought through the pre-publication sale will be shipped near the end of November. The book can be ordered online at shop.SteamboatEraMuseum.org
In addition to the book, the museum has mounted an interactive exhibit about Captain Bayton. Museum hours are Thursday, Friday and Monday 10am-4pm and Sunday from 1pm-4pm. It is located at 156 King Carter Drive, Irvington.