From 1792 to 1892, river boatmen on the Dan River played a major role in the economic development of the vast interior region along the river. Throughout the nineteenth century, in an era of poor roads, goods were transported by bateaux until the arrival of railroads. Before the Civil War, batteau men were primarily enslaved and free blacks, along with some whites, and some boats were crewed entirely by slaves, including the captain. Regardless of status, these boatmen were respected for their boatbuilding expertise and especially for their skill as river pilots; the batteau captain and pilot was responsible for the safe arrival of the crew and cargo. After the Civil War, batteau men became the region’s most important black entrepreneurs, continuing to dominate as builders, captains, and crewmen and becoming owners as well. By 1870, about 200 bateaux operated on the river. The boatmen lived mostly in the river ports of Madison, Leaksville, and Milton in North Carolina and South Boston, Clarksville, and especially Danville in Virginia, and in 1870 Edward Pollock of Danville called them important persons valued for their skills and influence in the community.