The Upper Midwest

How solemn and beautiful is the thought that the earliest pioneer of civilization, the van-leader of civilization, is never the steamboat, never the railroad, never the newspaper, never the Sabbath school, never the missionary--but always whisky! Such is the case. Look history over; you will see. The missionary comes after the whisky--I mean he arrives after the whisky has arrived; next comes the poor immigrant, with ax and hoe and rifle; next, the trader; next the miscellaneous rush; next the gambler, the desperado, the highwayman, and all their kindred in sin of both sexes; and next the smart chap who has bought up an old grant that covers all the land; this brings the lawyer tribe; the vigilance committee brings the undertaker. All these interests bring the newspaper; the newspaper starts up politics and a railroad; all hands turn to and build a church and a jail--and behold civilization is established forever in the land. But whisky you see, was the van-leader in this beneficent work. It always is...

Westward the jug of Empire takes its way.

This great van-leader arrived upon the ground which St. Paul now occupies in June 1837. Yes, at that date, Pierre Parrant, a Canadian, built the first cabin, uncorked his jug, and began to sell whisky to the Indians. The result is before us.
--Mark Twain

Until very recently in the course of human history, water has always been the best way to get somewhere. Frequently when I talk with folks about the history of the Mississippi Valley, they express surprise that the central and northern regions of the river were the first locations settled by Europeans and that the typical way back then to get to the Mississippi Valley was through the Great Lakes. The English settled the eastern seaboard of what is now the U.S. and found their progress moving inland arrested by the Appalachian Mountains. The French however settled eastern Canada where they found their progress moving inland supported by the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. The French explorers Marquette and Joliet found the Mississippi here in the Upper Midwest at what today is the city of Prairie du Chien. They did so in 1673, more than 150 years before the date Mark Twain gives for the founding of St. Paul. They came through the Great Lakes, up the Fox river and then down the Wisconsin river to the Mississippi.

I am often surprised to find adults down here in my neck of the river (St. Louis) who think of Minnesota and Wisconsin as "the great north woods." Elsewhere in this website I have referred to St. Louis as the largest city on the river--traditionally it has been, but the fact of the matter is that St. Louis and the Twin Cities now have identical head counts. The year 2000 census may show that one or the other has inched ahead. Despite the harsher winter climate, the Upper Midwest is the most heavily populated section of the river. In addition to the Twin Cities, there's St. Cloud and La Crosse; both vibrant mid-sized communities.

As touristy as the Headwaters region of the river is, it's far enough away from just about anybody and without major air access, such that the yearly tourist trade is moderated. Not so the Upper Midwest. During the summer months this region of the river is a veritable playground of boating, water sports and outdoor recreational activities. Little cities like Red Wing Minnesota and Prairie du Chien Wisconsin explode each summer into tourist paradises. I imagine you could mortgage the entire city of Red Wing and not raise enough money to pay for the pleasure boats in its harbor. Lake City Minnesota is where the sport of water skiing originated.

This is an unusually beautiful section of the river. The drive from Red Wing to Winona along the shores of Lake Pepin is rightly considered one of the most scenic in the entire country (I prefer the Wisconsin side). Some of the best vistas overlooking the river are from the tops of the bluffs here in the Upper Midwest. In Autumn when the leaves turn, the beauty of this stretch of the Mississippi is unmatched. In the photograph here you see the top of famous Barn Bluff in Red Wing Minnesota.

Here's Mark Twain again to do a better job than I can describing the scenery:

The majestic bluffs that overlook the river, along through this region, charm one with the grace and variety of their forms and the soft beauty of their adornment. The steep verdant slope, whose base is at the water's edge, is topped by a lofty rampart of broken, turreted rocks, which are exquisitely rich and mellow in color--mainly dark browns and dull greens, but splashed with other tints. And then you have the shining river, winding here and there and yonder, its sweep interrupted at intervals by clusters of wooded islands threaded by silver channels; and you have glimpses of distant villages, asleep upon capes; and of stealthy rafts slipping along in the shade of the forest walls; and of white steamers vanishing around remote points. And it is all as tranquil and reposeful as dreamland, and has nothing this-wordly about it--nothing to hang a fret or worry upon.

To the credit of the regions inhabitants, the character of the river valley has been preserved well enough since Mark Twain's visit that his observation still holds true.

Also located in this stretch of the river (and extending beyond into the Corn Belt) is the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge headquartered in Winona. Established in 1924 the refuge is 260 miles long and includes nearly 200,000 acres of river valley and wetlands. The mission of the refuge is: "To provide for public benefits associated with fish, wildlife, and wild areas, by preserving the Upper Mississippi River floodplain ecosystem for the enjoyment and use of this and future generations." Designated by the American Bird Conservancy as a globally important bird area, the refuge is a prime location for viewing migratory waterfowl, songbirds and bald eagles. Exceedingly beautiful, these wetlands are a thrill to visit especially in the Autumn when the birds are passing through. Go in the winter and you can see bald eagles at times by the dozen fishing in the open water at the dams. They come down the river from Canada to spend the winter.

Although the region is a recreational and outdoor sports paradise, don't be fooled into thinking little work gets done. The Twin Cities are, believe it or not, a major inland seaport. The Mississippi River Nine Foot Channel begins in downtown Minneapolis. Grains from the region, destined for ports all around the world, are shipped down the river on barges. A series of twenty seven locks and dams constructed and operated by the Army Corps of Engineers keeps the river navigable for the commercial tows. The Nine Foot Channel extends through 670 miles of river between Minneapolis and St. Louis during which river elevation drops 420 feet in total.

The locks and dams are a controversial topic, especially here in the Upper Midwest where I found environmental activism to be strongest. There is no doubt that altering the river's natural state so severely has had, and continues to have, an impact on the river's natural ecology. Some species of fish are threatened and could become extinct. Overall wetland habitat is reduced and this has serious consequences for waterfowl and migratory birds. I met people here in the Upper Midwest who adamantly insist the dams must be removed and the river restored to its natural state. It's a difficult problem, for stopping the commercial river traffic would have serious repercussions. Moving that traffic to rail or highway would be an environmental disaster. For example, transferring the current tow cargo to the railroads would result in a 350 percent increase in air pollution over what the tows produce now. Transferring that cargo to the highways would result in a 1,400 percent air pollution increase, not to mention traffic problems, highway destruction, one whopping big pile of used truck tires et cetera. Maybe there's a compromise that can allow the commercial tow traffic to continue and still improve the health of the river. Maybe one of you can help find the best solution.