Today, we all know—assume—that the Mississippi River begins at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. How did we figure this out? Why does it matter? In this episode, I dig into the history of how European and American explorers searched the swamps and forests of Minnesota trying to figure out exactly where the Mississippi River
While we settled on the name Mississippi by the mid-eighteenth century, we were still trying to define what body of water that name applied to—specifically, just where the river we called Mississippi began. This wasn’t just an act of intellectual curiosity. At the end of the eighteenth century, border disputes between the U. S.
Maybe you're like most people in that you enjoy paddling, but you stick to lakes and small rivers. Maybe, though, you're ready for a new experience. Maybe you're ready to join the growing number of paddlers who are discovering the pleasure of taking their canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) on the Mississippi and other
New book explores the diversity of the Headwaters
Paddling along the Mississippi River near Iron Bridge Landing (MN), between Bemidji and Lake Itasca (photo taken Aug 2014). See more photos here. Mississippi River near Iron Bridge Landing (MN)
The Mississippi River near Stumphges Rapids in northern Minnesota (photo taken Oct 2013). See more photos here. Fall along the upper, Upper Miss; near Stumphges Rapids
