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THE BRIGHT STAR The Bright Star Crossing the Missouri River at the Washington, Missouri Landing, 1873

of the churches looming on the skyline demonstrate a strong religious and moral conviction. Each shop, home, and business shows the care given by its owners. To the right we see the beautiful and stately steamboat, DeSmet, on her way to Ft. Benton, Montana. The BRIGHT STAR seems to be a symbolic link to all the vessels that have tied off at this river location. We see her steaming on another trip to a north bank location with her usual passengers of citizens, farmers, and travelers.

Located on the Missouri River, America’s first highway west, the citizens of Washington, Missouri have seen their share of history flow before their watchful eyes. The small river town was founded in 1839; however, the first permanent settlers started to arrive by keelboat in the late 1820s. They were Germans fleeing from an oppressive environment in their homeland. In the painting, you can hear the sound of the locomotive as it glides into town. The passengers traveling west crane their necks to see what they can of Washington. The dominance and the size

Gary R . Lucy, whose studio overlooks the Missouri River at Washington, Missouri, has worked as a professional artist since 1972. A native of Missouri, Gary spent twelve years as an award-winning wildlife artist; however, in 1985 he changed the direction of his work to the historic interpretation of the inland waterways of North America. GARY R. LUCY GALLERY 231West Main Street •Washington, Missouri • 636-239-6337 • garylucy.com