Tag: rivers

Water: in the form of ocean, gulf, lake and river, forms large portions of the United States borders. Today we are going to focus on a small section of the northern boundary.

This portion for the Niagara River is downstream from the famous falls and includes the Rainbow Bridge (opened in Nov 1941).

The river connects the Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario. While the waterfalls are the prime attraction — for both tourist and industrialist — the river at the bottom of the gorge has its own charm and beauty. If you visit the area, consider finding a vantage point along the river to enjoy a quieter sort of atmosphere from the powerful falls.

Water power from a creek flowing into the Mississippi River powers a grist mill and a sawmill in fictional Elm Ridge, Illinois during the 1850’s. Check into the sweet historical romance, New Dreams, to meet immigrants arriving in 1851. Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

Relax for a moment and pretend you are part of a family in 1780. Land is getting expensive, and the family decides to move westward — into the Northwest Territory.

With either oxen or horses pulling a wagon filled with your household goods and farming tools, you make your way via poor roads over the mountains to the area of Fort Pitt. Then the travel gets a little easier.

Either building or renting space on a flatboat, you use the Ohio River as a smooth road to your new home. Perhaps you settle in one of the new or established towns. Or travel inland a day or two to good farmland.

Today barges deliver goods up and down the Ohio River through a series of locks and dams which keep the water level sufficient for river traffic.

In the sweet historic romance, Stitching a Dream, Kurt Tafel, shoemaker, has made the journey from Pennsylvania to Illinois via steamboats on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Check out the details at the link to find the story of his first months in a new home. https://amzn.to/3VwoeFh

The river flows to the sea.

It’s the way the world works. No matter where the drop of rain, or flake of snow, falls, eventually, the same water will end up in the sea. (I can think of only a handful of exceptions — including the Dead Sea watershed.)

Yes, some of the water will go deep into the soil to nourish plants or continue down to an aquifer. Other individual drops will be slurped up by animals.

The remaining drops, combined with many others will form a rivulet, a stream, a creek, a river, a larger river, and then to the sea. Always going from high point to low the water demonstrates gravity to those who pay attention.

Humans have lived on the banks of these rivers since before recorded history. They drank the sweet water. They learned to catch and cook the fish. They built rafts and boats to travel from one settlement to another.

Humans still live on the banks of rivers. Many cities grew at the point where rivers joined each other or met the sea. Humans have lived along the river in the photograph for centuries. Europeans arrived 400 years past. The posts look like the remains of a much more recent dock. The rock has been placed to prevent the bank from collapsing and widening the already generous river.

Do you have a favorite river you like to watch? Perhaps from a local park or certain building?

The Mississippi River (not in the photo) is important to the fictional village of Elm Ridge, Illinois during the 1850’s. Check out this pair of sweet historical romance for a story of to young immigrants – New Dreams – and an American woman and Pennsylvania Deutsch man – Stitching a Dream. Follow the links for more information:

New Dreams: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

Stitching a Dream: https://amzn.to/3VwoeFh

Raindrops and snow melt high in the Montana mountains tend to slide and travel to the southeast.

Meanwhile, rain and snow from the western portion of Pennsylvania, and portions of New York state, end up with stream and river buddies floating west and south.

They meet in the Mississippi River. The Missouri River, with help from hundreds of smaller rivers and streams, pours western water into the river several miles north of the city of St. Louis. The Ohio River, carrying water from eight or more eastern states enters in a sparsely population region east of Charleston, MO.

In the above photo, they are well mixed passing New Madrid, MO. They have had a good many miles to blend.

When steamboats ruled the river and carried new immigrants to affordable land and growing cities, they passed a total of ten islands between New Madrid and the mouth of the Ohio River. Imagine young adults and families with small children watching the shore activities as they moved to a new home. Did any of your ancestors make a similar journey?

New Dreams, a sweet romance, recounts 1851 adventures going to and living in the fictional town of Elm Ridge, Illinois. Yes, a river town north of St. Louis. Book information here: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

For over 900 miles, this river makes a mark on the North American landscape. Not the longest. Not the widest. But a hard working river — busy with barges of freight in the 21st century.

In earlier times, the boats drifted, or sailed down current. Steam engines arrived and boats kept a schedule — mainly.

The engines are powered by diesel now, more powerful and dependable than in decades past.

The Ohio River was in minor flood the day this photo was taken in Paducah, KY. After the river completes this partial loop to the north, it turns south and joins up with the Mississippi River. If you are careful, and take precise measurements — you could put yourself equidistant from land in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. Be sure to be in a boat!

The immigrants in the sweet historical romance, New Dreams, passed the junction in early April, when snow melt from northern areas was filling the rivers. Do you suppose they experienced minor flooding?

Follow the link for more book information: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

Water seeks the lowest level and path of least resistance. That’s physics. The sort of science a person sees in daily life.

A spring bubbles up. Snow melts and runs in a ditch. The path widens. Another ditch of water is added. On and on and on until you get to a river. Then it continues as creeks, streams, and ditches add their offerings to the river.

At Trail of Tears State Park in Missouri, the Mississippi River has grown from a stream you can wade across to a mighty river.

Today we celebrate one year since publication of New Dreams, a sweet historical romance. (A Book Birthday.) When the characters passed this area in 1851, the memories of the Native Americans removed from the Southeastern states to Western territories was fresh. Imagine ferrying across this barrier in winter.

European immigration takes the spotlight in New Dreams. Follow the link for more information: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

Have you ever taken a road trip with children? Or been a child on a road trip? How about a vacation trip with multiple train or plane connections?

It’s a classic question. I think I’ve asked it more as an adult than as a child. Perhaps it was rare — but I enjoyed family road trips. Some were a Sunday afternoon. (Needed to be home to milk cows.) Others, requiring much more planning, included days of driving rather than hours.

Step back in time in your imagination. You’ve spent a couple of months on a sailing ship. Now you’re on a steamboat headed north. Perhaps you’re joining relatives or friends who have immigrated earlier. Or maybe you’re the first — and determined to make your own way. If your destination was St. Louis or farther, you passed this portion of the Mississippi River.

Maybe you tied up across the way on the Illinois shore. You have a stop or two remaining — perhaps Jefferson Barracks or Carondelet — before you get to the city. Are you ready? Are we there yet? I hope the weather is fine. We need to find a driver to take our trunks.

In New Dreams, a sweet historical romance, Hans and Louisa travel from New Orleans to St. Louis separately. They have different dreams. What do you suppose they thought as the riverboat chugged toward the St. Louis levee?

https://amzn.to/3vWydWE