A flatboat's a rectangular boat with a flat bottom and square ends used to transport freight and passengers on inland waterways. The flatboat could be any size but, essentially, it's large, sturdy tub with a hull that displaces water and so floats in the water; therefore, the flatboat isn't a raft, which floats on the water. 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 cent… (More on Flatboat)