Picture courtesy of Jim Kuntz

Picture courtesy of Jim Kuntz

Long known to the Indians who used the two great rivers as his highway for trade and war, this junction of the Ohio and the Mississippi was first sighted by Europeans when Marquette and Joliet glided past in 1623. Ten years later La Salle explored the area and established France's claim to the Mississippi Valley. From that time on this confluence was recognized as a strategic site for settlement and fortification. George Rogers Clark, following the capture of Kaskaskia in 1778, stationed armed boats at this junction to guard against attacks on the Illinois country by the British or Spanish. Here in 1811, the "New Orleans", first steamboat to navigate Western waters, lay at anchor during three nights of the New Madrid earthquake. In April of 1861 Fort Defiance was established at the confluence to thwart Confederate invasion and blockade the trade of the South. From here was launched General Grant's Great flanking movement up the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, which began at Fort Henry and ended at Vicksburg, giving the Union complete control of the Mississippi.

[Gen. Grant is Ulysses S. Grant; Joliet and Marquette are: Louis Joliet, and Father Jacques Marquette.]

[Notice during the constant meeting of the vast Ohio and Mississippi rivers, refusing to merge, the Ohio waters become a blue ribbon rippling far down the brown Mississippi currents.]

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment