PODCAST · history
Between the Levees
by The Living History Collection
In this podcast, we discuss the living histories of maritime industry personnel in all areas of the business.
Episodes
-
BTL Shorts: The Industry
On this one, we hear a little bit about the industry and its development over a few hundred years out there between the levees, and a bit more about the present day. The presented history was produced by prompt to my new friend Luna from ChatGPT.If you enjoy this content, please interact at your...
-
BTL Shorts: Charlie Kulage Update
I've stayed in touch with Charlie best I could since Thanksgiving 2025. It was through family on Facebook mostly. He's doing well in recovery and taking steps toward health and a new lease on life. I hope to have him back on the channel by year end, but that'll be on his schedule. Will keep you...
-
BTL Shorts: Update
Hello again! I've missed you! In this brief return to publishing, you hear a bit from me regarding the current status of my podcasting journey. Stay tuned!
-
S4:E182 | Capts. Sam S., David G. & Lee H. (Ret.) | pt. 3
The band's back together for this one, but I'm not much needed til the end. We hear a bit about the M/V JOYCE HALE, Pilots Agree, the Professional Pilots Association, the American Inland Mariners and Gulf Coast Mariners Associations, Melvin and John Sutton, steersman, licensing, insurance, court...
-
S4:E181 | Capts. Sam S., David G. & Lee H. (Ret.) | pt. 2
The boys hop back on without me this time. Their schedules aligned on a work day for me so I set them up as the day began and stepped aside. Sam does his best to keep us on topic, but we hear in far greater detail than any time previously on this channel about David's experiences in South America...
-
S4:E180 | Capts. David G. & Lee H. (Ret) | Pt. 1
From running boats to reading, writing, and religion, Retired Captains David Greer and Lee Hendrix rejoin me on the show to reminisce about, among other things, their lives, careers, and country.
-
S4:E179 | Capts. Sam S., David G. & Lee H. (Ret.) | Pt. 1
Three old retirees get together to reminisce about where they came from, where we are today, and where we're headed. From the old times in the 70s up into the 20s, we hear about the industry and the people that run it, some recent US history, politics, and life in old age looking back on things...
-
S3:E178 | Clay Adams | "First Mate Hard Times"
"First Mate Hard Times" hops on the show this week to discuss his path through life that began in Indiana in the 1970s. His family was well-known in the area having founded, owned, and operated Adams Oil for the local farming community. Following his parents divorce and a separation from his...
-
S3:E178 | Clay Adams | Social Media
Clay Adams joins me on the show this week to discuss the life and times of "First Mate Hard Times." In this short intro, he discusses his social media presence, family, work, and faith.
-
S3:E177 | Mike Hagan & Jim Fox | "All Markets Are Made at the Margin"
From Louisville, Kentucky, former CEO Mr. Mike Hagan joins me with a previous podcast guest and associate of his, Mr. Jim Fox, to chat about industry history and development. Starting out after college as a management trainee with ACBL, Mr. Hagan reminisces about dispatch back in the 70s, Mr. Joe...
-
S3:E176 | Brian Cox | Port of South Louisiana
Interim Executive Director of the Port of South Louisiana, Mr. Brian Cox, joins me to talk through a career in stevedoring that began in 1999 on the dock in New Orleans with Coastal Cargo as a clerk, eventually leading him to assume a vessel supervisor role, and then a jump to Associated…
more -
S3:E175-3 | Capt. Lee Hendrix (Ret.) | The Sultana Disaster, pt. 3
The Sultana Disaster, pt. 3 By: Capt. Lee Hendrix (Ret.) https://towboatcaptain.substack.com/p/out-out-brief-candle To support his efforts and check out more, head to his Substack. You can subscribe for FREE!
-
S3:E175-2 | Capt. Lee Hendrix (Ret.) | The Sultana Disaster, pt. 2
The Sultana Disaster, pt. 2By: Capt. Lee Hendrix (Ret.)https://towboatcaptain.substack.com/p/a-deadly-schemeTo support his efforts and check out more, head to his Substack. You can subscribe for FREE!
-
S3:E175-1 | Capt. Lee Hendrix (Ret.) | The Sultana Disaster, pt. 1
The Sultana Disaster, pt. 1By: Capt. Lee Hendrix (Ret.)https://towboatcaptain.substack.com/p/the-cross-of-deathTo support his efforts and check out more, head to his Substack. You can subscribe for FREE!
-
S3:E174 | Capts. Sam Schropp (Ret.) & Lee Hendrix (Ret.) | The Grand Adventure
Connected on the river back in the 90s, a pair of old retired river men join me to catch up on life these days and reminisce about their careers and the days long ago. From meeting at Kinder's Restaurant with Adrian Hargrove and Popeye to sitting across the aisle from one another in court, their...
-
S3:E173 | Capt. Lee Hendrix (Ret.) | River Man
Born in 1949 in poverty, Capt. Lee Hendrix stumbled into the industry and found himself on a grand adventure that spanned a great many years. We hear about his early life growing up in St. Louis, his first boat, the M/V HAVANA ZEPHYR (now the mighty MERLIN BANTA), the good old days, the ill-fated...
-
S3:E173 | Capt. Lee Hendrix (Ret.) | Preview
Captain Lee Hendrix gives us a brief overview of his more recent professional experiences ahead of our 90-minute visit debuting tomorrow night.
-
S3:E172 | Mike O' Neil (Ret.) | Industry Man
Reflecting more on his career and experiences in the industry, we hear more about Jim and John Fox, Dave Fleming, black powder rifles, Mike's father, and George Marble. We hear all about his experiences growing up in dispatch from the mid-80s forward, the famed record MISS KAE D tow, fleeting...
-
S3:E171 | Mike O'Neil (Ret.) | Dispatch and Logistics
Retired and tough to pin down, Mr. Mike O'Neil finally joins me on the show. We hear about his early life in the Greater New Orleans area, familial connections to the industry, the development of industry over the years through acquisitions and mergers, Jim Fox, Sonny Ivey, Patrick Morton, Jim...
-
S3:E171 | Mike O'Neil | Clip
Career logistics man Mike O'Neil joins me on the show this week to talk through a storied career and some of the history and development of industry since the 60s. This clip is from behind the scenes and not that interesting, but please enjoy the episodes this week! Excuse the poor audio in the...
-
S3:E170 | Capt. Rusty Ball (Ret.) | Part 2
Humbled by the responses his first visit received, Retired Captain Rusty Ball gets back on the show to talk through a few of the marine incidents with which he played a part over the years. He reminds us of the importance of drills, safety, communication and teamwork out there on the water, he...
-
S3:E169 | Capt. Pete Ciaramitaro | River Man
Captain Pete Ciaramitaro joins me on the show to talk through what may well be a 50-year career working all across our river systems by the end of next year. Joining Southern Towing in 1976, he climbed the ladder to the wheelhouse in a short time. In this episode, we hear about his development as…
more -
S3:E169 | Capt Pete | Brief Intro
Captain Pete Ciaramitaro joins me on the show this week to talk through the storied career of a true river man. Nearing retirement and leaving behind quite a legacy, Captain Pete seems content with the well-spent career of his out there on the water.
-
S3:E168 | Capt. Sam Schropp (Ret.) | Industry History
Retired Captain Sam Schropp joins me again from his balcony in Costa Rica. We cover the growth and development of the industry that defined his professional life for 50 years, Ike Sullivan, tank barges, the grain and coal export markets, and more...We'll do it again sometime.
-
S3:E168 | Capt. Sam Schropp Returns | An Aside
This conversation kicked off discussing the Grateful Dead, politics, culture, and the realities of the day. Here, Capt. Schropp shares his thoughts on current conditions of the United States. Full episode focused on industry history and development will follow tomorrow at 18:00 CST.
-
S3:E167 | Capt. David Greer (Ret.) | The World Today
In this episode, we talk philosophy, American history past and present, "The Bear" by Faulkner, slavery and its impact on the development of the towing industry in the United States, race, the underclass, the Indian Wars, keel boats and the evolution of industry.Among other things, we also cover...
-
S3:E166 | Capt. David Greer (Ret.) | Industry History
We hear more about the industry from Captain Greer again. In this one, we cover the Inland Waterways Commission, Federal Barge Line, the development of industry in wartime, the Herman Pott Collection at the St. Louis Mercantile Library, the good old days, barge designs, and executive management…
more -
S3:E165 | Capt. David Greer (Ret.) | River Talk
Retired Captain David Greer joins me again on the show to share his thoughts and perspective on the industry and his experiences over 4 decades. We discuss a bit on the history of humanity, old mariners, his place in history, books, his life and career, the last episode I published with Captain…
more -
S3:E164 | Capt. Sam Schropp (Ret.) | Industry History & More...
Retired Captain Samuel Schropp joins me again on the show - 110 episodes after his first visit a few years back. He retired from the river in 2020, served as an expert witness in legal proceedings as a representative of industry, served his community, and has since moved away to paradise with his...
-
S3:E164 | Sam Schropp | Clip
Captain Sam Schropp joins me again on the show tomorrow night. It's been 2 years and over a hundred episodes since our last visit. Among other things, we discuss 50 years of history out there between the levees.
-
S3:E163 | Kevin Ferezan | Ditch Pilot
Captain Kevin Ferezan joins me on the show for a quick visit to chat through early life in New Orleans, a move to Corpus Christi, Tx post-Katrina, and an attraction to the maritime world that has grown into a career over a few short years.
-
S3:E162 | Capt. Stephen Polk | SCI:CME
Director of Maritime Education and Training for the Seamen's Church Institute's Center for Maritime Education, Capt. Stephen Polk joins me on the show to discuss life growing up in the Houston area, adventures into the maritime world in civilian and military functions spurred by his maritime...
-
S3:E161 | Selena LeBeouf | Landside Ops Mgr (Artco)
From down da bayou in Dulac, Louisiana to frigid Indiana, Selena found a new home in the industry with ADM/Artco. A graduate of the Nicholls St. Maritime program, she found herself interning in St. Louis across a few of Artco's business units and is now Landside Operations Manager for them in Mt....
-
S3:E161 | Preview with Selena LeBeouf
Selena shares a bit about the podcast to preview this week's episode.
-
S3:E160 | Capt. Rusty Ball | Retired, maybe...
Coming out of a Summer break, Captain Rusty Ball joins me on the show to talk through a life lived on the water. Since the mid-60s boarding boats with his father as a young child through today, Captain Ball learned a great deal and made a life out there working for many companies over the years,...
-
S3:E160 | Preview with Captain Rusty Ball
Preview clip for the Tuesday, July 15th release premiering at 18:00 CST.
-
S3:159 | Cole Bizwell | Leadman
Leadman Cole Bizwell runs up and downriver on the M/V JOHN D ROBERTS with Ingram Barge. He's five generations deep in the industry, and his family ran a company some out there may remember. We discuss his childhood and the upbringing that brought him into aviation, and his fateful decision to...
-
S3:158 | Jonathan Jackson | Stevedoring
Jonathan Jackson, a crane supervisor for Associated Terminals, joins me on the show to talk through his early life in the Greater New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas as well as his journey into the industry with a short stint working for a contractor at AEP's Convent Wash Dock that led him to...
-
S3:E157 | Kulage & Friends, part 2 | Capt. David Raines & Me
"Big Dave" joins us back on the show to reminisce about careers and past associations he and Charlie survived together. Sounds yet again like these guys had a pretty good time in life. I'm not much needed here, but surely enjoyed it.
-
S3:E157 | Preview | Charlie and Me
For the new Kulage and Friends series I'll be producing on my channel, Charlie and I get caught up on last week's release and banter a bit waiting on his old friend and partner in crime, Captain David Raines... To learn more about Captain Raines, please check out his full-length episode:...
-
S3:E156 | Charlie Kulage, pt. 9 | Road to Recovery
Charlie joins me again after six long months. He chronicles at length his journey into Recovery that continues through today in sober living and daily attendance in groups. This one's just over 3 hours long, and I'd ask that you watch and listen start to finish in as many sessions as may be...
-
S3:E155 | Capt. Rudy Ward | Part 2
We travel down memory lane again with Captain Rudy Ward as he shares stories about past associates and friends from a long career including, among others, Robert Thompson, Andrew McKinney, Jeremy Frazer, John Gentry, and Charles Strait. He also touches a bit on the Coast Guard, OSHA regulations,...
-
S3:E154 | Greg "P-nut" Whittington | Trip Pilot (for now...)
Captain Greg "P-nut" Whittington joins me on the show to talk through his time on waterways across the United States as well as the trials and tribulations that persist out there for mariners related to mental health and coping with the towboat lifestyle. He's discovered a way through the...
-
S3:E153 | Joey Swords | Captain
Captain Joey Swords joins me to talk through his career and experiences from a furniture factory in Mississippi to a week-long deckhand school, placement with Magnolia Marine, a deck position with Artco, and a chance in the wheelhouse at Jantran. His twenty-year career has seen time on most every...
-
S2:E152 | Capt. Rudy Ward (Ret., maybe) | Towboater
Closing out Season 2 of the show, Capt. Rudy Ward joins me to share memories of a 50-year career out there on the water. From making $12.50 a day in the mid-70s when minimum wage was about $2/hour to the pilot house, Pilots Agree and beyond, he recalls a few stories about life on the water back...
-
S2:SR | Tim Tregle | Quick Update on Charlie
Quick update on Charlie and what he's been up to lately. We'll see him again, I'd imagine, sometime early next year.
-
S2:SR | Tim Tregle | Announcement
Quick update on things.
-
S2:E151 | Doug Jackson | S/V Seeker
From St. Augustine, Florida, aboard the S/V Seeker, Mr. Doug Jackson joins me on the show to discuss the adventures that shaped his life from childhood through today. He chronicles his early travels across the southern border of the United States, to Columbia and West Africa, and all across the...
-
S2:E151 Intro: Doug Jackson | S/V Seeker
Mr. Doug Jackson joins me on the show this week to discuss the ongoing project that took over his life many years ago. He is the owner and builder of the SV Seeker, a triple-masted Chinese junk rig sailboat, that came together over many years in his front yard in North Tulsa. In this short...
-
Kenny and Kannon Brown | Maritime Throwdown | Workboat 2024
Kannon Brown joins me on the show to chat through his life and career thus far, and his involvement in the Maritime Throwdown program his father, Kenny, created a few years ago. Kenny hops on as well to chat about the 2024 Wildcard Qualifier that took place at Workboat in New Orleans, and some...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
In this podcast, we discuss the living histories of maritime industry personnel in all areas of the business.
HOSTED BY
The Living History Collection
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Between the Levees have?
Between the Levees currently has 231 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Between the Levees about?
In this podcast, we discuss the living histories of maritime industry personnel in all areas of the business.
How often does Between the Levees release new episodes?
Between the Levees publishes regularly with 231 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Between the Levees?
You can listen to Between the Levees on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Between the Levees?
Between the Levees is created and hosted by The Living History Collection.
URL copied to clipboard!