Historian John Anfinson has spent much of his adult life working in jobs that keep him close to the Mississippi River, first with the US Army Corps of Engineers, then later with the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, a part of the National Park Service. In this episode, we have a wide-ranging discussion about his career as a river historian. During his tenure with the Corps of Engineers, for example, he learned of the work of Henry Bosse, whose photographs and maps documented the Mississippi before the lock and dam system was constructed. We discuss the early history of the lock and dam system, including a brief overview of the forces that propelled that project forward. Anfinson also describes the origins of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, how they’ve driven greater engagement with the river, and the challenges they face just letting people know they exist. We conclude with a few thoughts about the future of the river, from short-term challenges to the hope that more people will get involved to shape the river’s future.

Show Notes

Here are links to some of the places we talked about in this episode:

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

Owánynakapi Okhódayapi

Wakan Tipi Awanyankap

Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary

Henry Bosse photographs (scroll down on this page)

Books with Henry Bosse’s photographs:

  • Mississippi Blue by The Photographs of Henry P. Bosse by Charles Wehrenberg
  • View on the Mississippi: The Photographs of Henry Peter Bosse by Mark Neuzil

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Transcript

[coming soon]