This is based on the historical event of families migrating to Indiana and Ohio via the river. The setting is the early 1800's when the McClure family consisting of mother, father, daughter and son, traveled with their meager belongings strapped to a flat bed house boat. Not only goods, but animals as well inhabited the space.

When they arrived from Pennsylvania, previous settlers assisted in working together to frame a house.
While the book paints the adventure as some what calm, I imagine that in real life, there were plenty of dangers.