h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Let me preface this by saying that my
*favorite* river is, and will always be,
the Mississippi. In my teens, I drew a series
of maps of the Missisippi, identifying
10,000 streams that flowed into it or its
tributaries. I read attentively such classics
of literature as "Life on the Mississippi"
and "Huckleberry Finn," both by Mark Twain.
As for my list of favorite musicals, would it
surprise you to find "Show Boat, "Music Man,"
and "Great River" on my list? .

So, even though I've only ever seen the Mississippi
a couple of times (both at St. Louis), not counting
the times I've seen it from an airplane window
while flying from one coast to the other, I can't
not have this river as my favorite.

In my next few posts, I will cover the questions
that were asked in the main body of the article.

Paul H

Where is it?

The Mississippi itself stays entirely within
the boundaries of the United States. However,
some tributaries of the Missouri River (which
flows into the Mississippi just North of St.
Louis) drain part of Canada.

Where does it flow from and to?

The Mississippi River has its origin in Lake
Itasca, which is in Northern Minnesota. Lake
Itasca was originally discovered by Schoolcraft.
The Mississippi then meanders Eastward and then Southward,
passing through Minneapolis before meeting the
Minnesota River, which comes into it from the West.
after curving to the Southeast, the Mississippi then
forms the boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin
as it wiggles its way toward the Gulf of Mexico,
picking up larger and larger tributaries from both
East and West as it goes. Soon the Mississippi is
separating Illinois from Iowa. Next it is separating
Illinois from Missouri. Ultimately it will run along
the banks of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi,
and Louisiana.


What's its history?

There seems to be a consensus that the Mississippi
formed at the end of the last Ice Age, and was
undoubtedly a much larger river than it is today,
given the vast quantities of meltwater that it had
to carry from the glaciers that straddled what are
now the Great Lakes. Consider also that the St. Lawrence
River would not have been a conduit for much of this
melwater because it was still under the ice for some
of this period.

Modern history: the Native Americans were familiar with
the Mississippi and its tributaries. One could travel
across about two-thirds of the interior of what is now
the continental United States by canoe on the streams
that make up the Mississippi river system.

The French settlers in what is now Canada made use
of the Mississippi for trading and trapping animals
for pelts.

[As the Mississippi has so much history, I will continue
this part of the essay in a future post]

What can be seen along its banks?

In Minnesota, one can see wetlands and lakes at first.
These give way to farms and fields, alternating with
forestland. There are urban vistas as the Mississippi
passes large metropolises such as Minneapolis, St.
Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans. There is probably
not much that you *can't* see along the Mississippi's
banks. Maybe even Elvis.

How do they compare today with their past?

There are long stretches of the river that have been
built up with levees as a means of preventing the river
from flooding cities, towns, and even fields along
its banks. St. Louis built a 50-foot level, only
to have the river rise to 49 feet a few years ago.
If there was ever a close call, that was it!

Do they offer river tours and are they any good?

The Mississippi, particularly the southern half,
is made for tours. In a few of the states that
border it, entrepreneurs have tried to get around
anti-gambling statutes by running riverboat casinos.