Carl Mueller can’t wait to see the Rock Island Bridge—the first railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi River. But Carl’s pa, captain of the steamboat Betsy Ross, is worried. Now that trains can get to the West, they may put steamboats out of business. Carl sees things differently. He grew up on a steamboat, but he loves trains. Maybe his own future will be on land, not water.

Carl and his pa are in Davenport, Iowa, on the morning of May 6, 1856—when the Effie Afton steamboat crashes into the bridge. The accident destroys the steamboat, damages the bridge, and leaves Pa too injured to captain the Betsy. Stranded in Davenport, Carl finds a job—with the railroad.

Soon Carl feels trapped in the middle of the war between the railroad and steamboat interests. The railroads are spreading across the country, and the steamboatmen are fighting to protect their territory. Then Carl uncovers a plot to discredit the steamboatmen. Can he be loyal to his people and still pursue his dream?