 The industry 's success , however , did not guarantee safety . In the early decades before the river 's flow was controlled by man , its sketchy rises and falls and its massive amounts of sediment , which prevented a clear view of the bottom , wrecked some 300 vessels . Because of the dangers of navigating the Missouri River , the average ship 's lifespan was short , only about four years . The development of the Transcontinental and Northern Pacific <unk> marked the beginning of the end of steamboat commerce on the Missouri . <unk> by trains , the number of boats slowly dwindled , until there was almost nothing left by the 1890s . Transport of agricultural and mining products by barge , however , saw a revival in the early twentieth century . 
