Where The Mississippi River Once Flowed by Buffalo1 ()
Photography • Historical • posted on Nov 11, 2016
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Description
You are looking south at Idlewild Slough which is a large stream that separates Kaskaskia Precinct of Randolph County, Illinois on the left from the State of Missouri on the right. Now if you know your geography you will say, "Wait a minute ol' Buffalo. The Mississippi River is the Illinois/Missouri border." And you would be correct, excepting Kaskaskia Precinct. Now I like strange, or odd, or weird historic places and Kaskaskia certainly fills the bill. It is a 24 square mile exclave of Illinois found on the western, or Missouri bank, of the Mississippi River with a population of about 40. You can't even reach it by car from Illinois without going through Missouri first. In the 18th Century French colonists and Native Americans made up a thriving population of 7,000 people and Kaskaskia was on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. It was the first capital of the State of Illinois in 1818-19. Two floods in 1844 and 1881 changed everything. So much river bank timber had been cut down for steamboat fuel that the floods carried away the soil and the Mississippi took over the channel of the Kaskaskia River. Kaskaskia became an island cut off from the rest of Illinois by the Mississippi River. It still is today with Idlewild Slough and the Old River channel, which are really just two large streams, separating Kaskaskia Precinct from Missouri. More pics and commentary on the amazing history of Kaskaskia coming up!
Image Comments (8)
Buffalo1 () 1:50AM | Fri, 11 November 2016
Oh, and thank you to all American veterans for their service and sacrifices. The same goes for America's allies on their "Remembrance Day" marking the end of World War I.
Mondwin () 5:14AM | Fri, 11 November 2016
Very beautiful view my Friend!!!Bravissimo!V:DDD.HUgsxx Whylma
ontar1 () 6:26AM | Fri, 11 November 2016
Great view and thank you for the info!
junge1 () 12:41AM | Sat, 12 November 2016
Beautiful shot and an interesting bit of info Rog! throughout its length the Mississippi has changed its course numerous times. Thank you for your service Rog!
HADCANCER () 6:51PM | Sat, 12 November 2016
Buffalo1 () 6:39PM | Sun, 13 November 2016
Thanks, Sig. In the interest of full disclosure I never had the honor of serving in the military. My family members who served in the military were dead set against me joining up unless I was drafted. (My year was 1972- the last year of the draft and I had a very high number.) Kind of hard to fight two Army sergeants, an Air Force sergeant, mother and a patriotic granddad when I was 17.
flavia49 () 7:12PM | Wed, 16 November 2016
nice capture and informations
blinkings () 7:32PM | Wed, 12 April 2017
How interesting!
