Stories about the people, places, and events along the Mississippi River.
Swinging over the Locks: The Quad Cities’ Government Bridge
Even at 120 years old, the Government Bridge is an impressive feat of engineering.
Ten River Festivals to Liven Up Your Summer
If your budget is tight this year and your dream trip to Venice is on hold, now is a great time to hit the road to get reacquainted with the history and culture of the Mississippi Valley. And what could be more fun than visiting festivals along the river that mix history and culture with
Enduring Benefits of the CCC and WPA
In 1932, the US Gross National Product dropped a record 13% and nearly one-quarter of the adult population was unemployed; in three years 40% of American banks had failed. In the first few weeks after his inauguration in March 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt launched a series of ambitious public works programs to get people
Father Mazzuchelli’s Churches
The frontier priest traveled the Mississippi River to serve tiny parishes. His buildings still grace many rivertowns.
Beauty at the Far End of the River
Some fifty miles downriver of New Orleans, Bohemia Beach comes into view like Brigadoon, an oasis of sandy beach between piles of rip rap that I fear will disappear when I wake up. When I met the Rivergator expedition on the west bank of the Mississippi River at Algiers, downtown New Orleans looming behind
Paddling on the Lower Mississippi
Before I step into Grasshopper, a 30-foot voyageur-style canoe, I regard the big river I am about to navigate with six other paddlers. Lyrics from a song by bluesman Big Bill Broonzy echo in my head: “Mississippi River, it’s so long, deep and wide.” I’ve canoed and camped along the Upper Mississippi many times, hiked