Stories about people who are connected to the Mississippi River
Our Mississippi River
The Mississippi River means something different to each of us. Hear directly from people about why they enjoy the Mississippi and what the river means to them.
One of the Toughest, Smartest People I Ever Met
I met Lucille Keil when she was a spry 84-year-old museum guide. She was my docent at the Young Museum in Bellevue, Iowa, leading me around the house filled with souvenirs collected by Joe and Grace Young during their world travels. During that first tour, she scowled when we reached a glass cabinet near
An Immigrant Orphan and His Overachieving Family
Gerhard Gesell emigrated to the US from Germany in 1863, an orphan eager to start a new life. He was the first generation in a family of high achievers in the United States. Patriarch Gerhard was a gifted photographer; son Arnold was a well-known child psychologist; and grandson Gerhard a respected federal judge. Their
Bix Beiderbecke: From Musical Prodigy to Jazz Legend
Bix Beiderbecke grew into a jazz legend because he was born in the right place at the right time. Sure, he was also a gifted musician, but his path to the top as one of the greatest jazz cornetists was fueled by the inspiration he drew from hearing the earliest jazz musicians play on
Nelson Dewey: A Riches to Riches to Rags Story
Camping at Nelson Dewey State Park I’ve had two chances to camp this summer at Nelson Dewey State Park near Cassville, Wisconsin, the park that is named for Wisconsin’s first governor. Dewey was a remarkable man. He gave up a cushy gig in the family lawyering business to go west, became rich through