Deep into the night on April 27, 1865, the boilers on the steamboat Sultana exploded, triggering the worst maritime disaster in US history. More than a thousand people died, either from the explosion itself or trying to survive in the freezing cold Mississippi River afterward. The disaster was tragic well beyond the number of
John A. Logan grew up in a well-to-do household in Murphysboro, Illinois, in the years before the Civil War. He had political ambitions early, maybe even from the moment he took his first breath, but the trajectory of his career took some remarkable turns. In this episode, I talk with Betsy Brown and Laura
Population (2010) 2,819 Introduction Once a bustling port at the confluence of two of the biggest rivers in the US, Cairo (pronounced CARE-o) today is a shell of its former self. The reasons for its shocking decline aren’t too hard to figure out. History The
Population (2010) 27,891 Introduction Alton is a city with a layered history that is worth the time to explore. When you’re done, take a drive along the Mississippi River up to Grafton, which is one of the most scenic stretches of the Great River Road; it can be very
Population (2010) 3,127 Introduction New Madrid (pronounced MAD-rid) is best known for being at the epicenter of a powerful series of earthquakes, but it is also an old community along the Middle Mississippi that traces its roots back to the Spanish colonial days. Take some time to get to
Population (2010) 38,109 Introduction It’s as far south as you can go and still call it the Upper Mississippi River, and you’ll notice some big changes. The air is getting warmer and thicker. The bluffs begin to give way to the delta plains, and the culture starts to feel
