A Flatboat is a rectangular boat with a big bottom an square ends used to transport freight on inland waterways. Essentially a large, sturdy raft, a flatboat also had a raised edge. A flatboat was almost always a one-way vessel, and was usually dismantled for lumber when it reached its downstream destination. Varieties of flatboat in the early 19th century included the mid-range broadhorn and Kentucky boat, and the longer-range New Orleans boat, which was fully covered.