Cultural geography Mississippi River

1 cultural geography

1.1 state boundaries
1.2 communities along river
1.3 bridge crossings

cultural geography
state boundaries

the mississippi river runs through or along 10 states, minnesota louisiana, , used define portions of these states borders, wisconsin, illinois, kentucky, tennessee, , mississippi along east side of river, , iowa, missouri, , arkansas along west side. substantial parts of both minnesota , louisiana on either side of river, although mississippi defines part of boundary of each of these states.

in of these cases, middle of riverbed @ time borders established used line define borders between adjacent states. in various areas, river has since shifted, state borders have not changed, still following former bed of mississippi river of establishment, leaving several small isolated areas of 1 state across new river channel, contiguous adjacent state. also, due meander in river, small part of western kentucky contiguous tennessee, isolated rest of state.

lake pepin, widest naturally occurring part of mississippi, part of minnesota–wisconsin border.




the mississippi river in downtown baton rouge


communities along river


in minnesota, mississippi river runs through twin cities (2007)



community of boathouses on mississippi river in winona, mn (2006)



the mississippi river @ chain of rocks north of st. louis (2005)

many of communities along mississippi river listed below; have either historic significance or cultural lore connecting them river. sequenced source of river end.

bridge crossings


the stone arch bridge, third avenue bridge , hennepin avenue bridge in minneapolis (2004)

the road crossing highest on upper mississippi simple steel culvert, through river (locally named nicolet creek ) flows north lake nicolet under wilderness road west arm of lake itasca, within itasca state park.

the earliest bridge across mississippi river built in 1855. spanned river in minneapolis, minnesota current hennepin avenue bridge located. no highway or railroad tunnels cross under mississippi river.

the first railroad bridge across mississippi built in 1856. spanned river between rock island arsenal in illinois , davenport, iowa. steamboat captains of day, fearful of competition railroads, considered new bridge hazard navigation. 2 weeks after bridge opened, steamboat effie afton rammed part of bridge, setting on fire. legal proceedings ensued, abraham lincoln defending railroad. lawsuit went supreme court of united states, ruled in favor of railroad.

below general overview of selected mississippi bridges have notable engineering or landmark significance, cities or locations. sequenced upper mississippi s source lower mississippi s mouth.

stone arch bridge – former great northern railway (now pedestrian) bridge @ saint anthony falls connecting downtown minneapolis historic marcy-holmes neighborhood.
i-35w saint anthony falls bridge – in minneapolis, opened in september 2008, replacing i-35w mississippi river bridge had collapsed catastrophically on august 1, 2007, killing 13 , injuring on 100.
eisenhower bridge (mississippi river) – in red wing, minnesota, opened dwight d. eisenhower in november 1960.
i-90 mississippi river bridge – connects la crosse, wisconsin, , winona county, minnesota, located south of lock , dam no. 7.
black hawk bridge – connects lansing in allamakee county, iowa , rural crawford county, wisconsin; locally referred lansing bridge , documented in historic american engineering record.


the dubuque-wisconsin bridge (2004)



dubuque-wisconsin bridge – connects dubuque, iowa, , grant county, wisconsin.
julien dubuque bridge – joins cities of dubuque, iowa, , east dubuque, illinois; listed in national register of historic places.
savanna-sabula bridge – truss bridge , causeway connecting city of savanna, illinois, , island city of sabula, iowa. bridge carries u.s. highway 52 on river, , terminus of both iowa highway 64 , illinois route 64. added national register of historic places in 1999.
fred schwengel memorial bridge – 4-lane steel girder bridge carries interstate 80 , connects leclaire, iowa, , rapids city, illinois. completed in 1966.
i-74 bridge – connects bettendorf, iowa, , moline, illinois; known iowa-illinois memorial bridge.
government bridge – connects rock island, illinois , davenport, iowa, adjacent lock , dam no. 15; fourth crossing in vicinity, built in 1896.
rock island centennial bridge – connects rock island, illinois, , davenport, iowa; opened in 1940.
sergeant john f. baker, jr. bridge – connects rock island, illinois, , davenport, iowa; opened in 1973.

norbert f. beckey bridge @ muscatine, iowa, led lighting



norbert f. beckey bridge – connects muscatine, iowa, , rock island county, illinois; became first u.s. bridge illuminated light-emitting diode (led) lights decoratively illuminating facade of bridge.
great river bridge – cable-stayed bridge connecting burlington, iowa, gulf port, illinois.
fort madison toll bridge – connects fort madison, iowa, , unincorporated niota, illinois; known santa fe swing span bridge; @ time of construction longest , heaviest electrified swing span on mississippi river. listed in national register of historic places since 1999.
keokuk–hamilton bridge – connects keokuk, iowa , hamilton, illinois; opened in 1985 replacing older bridge still in use railroad bridge.
bayview bridge – cable-stayed bridge bringing westbound u.s. highway 24 on river, connecting cities of west quincy, missouri, , quincy, illinois.
quincy memorial bridge – connects cities of west quincy, missouri, , quincy, illinois, carrying eastbound u.s. 24, older of these 2 u.s. 24 bridges.
clark bridge – cable-stayed bridge connecting west alton, missouri, , alton, illinois, known super bridge result of appearance on pbs program, nova; built in 1994, carrying u.s. route 67 across river. northernmost river crossing in st. louis metropolitan area, replacing old clark bridge, truss bridge built in 1928, named after explorer william clark.


the chain of rocks bridge @ st. louis, missouri



chain of rocks bridge – located on northern edge of st. louis, notable 22-degree bend occurring @ middle of crossing, necessary navigation on river; formerly used u.s. route 66 cross mississippi. replaced road traffic in 1966 nearby pair of new bridges; pedestrian bridge.
eads bridge – combined road , railway bridge, connecting st. louis , east st. louis, illinois. when completed in 1874, longest arch bridge in world, overall length of 6,442 feet (1,964 m). 3 ribbed steel arch spans considered daring, use of steel primary structural material; first such use of true steel in major bridge project.
chester bridge – truss bridge connecting route 51 in missouri illinois route 150, between perryville, missouri, , chester, illinois. bridge can seen in beginning of 1967 film in heat of night. in 1940s, main span destroyed tornado.
bill emerson memorial bridge—connecting cape girardeau, missouri , east cape girardeau, illinois, completed in 2003 , illuminated 140 lights.
caruthersville bridge – single tower cantilever bridge carrying interstate 155 , u.s. route 412 across mississippi river between caruthersville, missouri , dyersburg, tennessee.


the hernando de soto bridge in memphis, tennessee (2009)



hernando de soto bridge – through arch bridge carrying interstate 40 across mississippi between west memphis, arkansas, , memphis, tennessee.
harahan bridge – cantilevered through truss bridge, carrying 2 rail lines of union pacific railroad across river between west memphis, arkansas, , memphis, tennessee.
frisco bridge – cantilevered through truss bridge, carrying rail line across river between west memphis, arkansas, , memphis, tennessee, known memphis bridge. when opened on may 12, 1892, first crossing of lower mississippi , longest span in u.s. listed historic civil engineering landmark.
memphis & arkansas bridge – cantilevered through truss bridge, carrying interstate 55 between memphis , west memphis; listed on national register of historic places.
helena bridge
greenville bridge


vicksburg bridge



old vicksburg bridge
vicksburg bridge
natchez-vidalia bridge
john james audubon bridge – second-longest cable-stayed bridge in western hemisphere; connects pointe coupee , west feliciana parishes in louisiana. crossing between baton rouge , natchez. bridge opened month ahead of schedule in may 2011, due 2011 floods.
huey p. long bridge – truss cantilever bridge carrying 190 (airline highway) , 1 rail line between east baton rouge , west baton rouge parishes in louisiana.
horace wilkinson bridge – cantilevered through truss bridge, carrying 6 lanes of interstate 10 between baton rouge , port allen in louisiana. highest bridge on mississippi river.
sunshine bridge
gramercy bridge
hale boggs memorial bridge
huey p. long bridge – in jefferson parish, louisiana, first mississippi river span built in louisiana.
crescent city connection – connects east , west banks of new orleans, louisiana; fifth-longest cantilever bridge in world.




^ encyclopediaofarkansas.net . encyclopediaofarkansas.net. april 28, 2010. retrieved november 6, 2010. 
^ yale.edu treaty of friendship, limits, , navigation , avalon project @ yale law school
^ google streetview image @ 47.1938103 n, 95.2306761 w
^ costello, mary charlotte (2002). climbing mississippi river bridge bridge. volume two: minnesota. cambridge, minnesota: adventure publications. isbn 0-9644518-2-4. 
^ michael a. ross (summer 2009). hell gate of mississippi: effie afton trial , abraham lincoln s role in . annals of iowa. 68 (3): 312–314.