The Longest Rivers in the United States

Louisville on the Ohio River

I started watching Ken Burns' documentary of the Lewis and Clark expedition that had been commissioned by Thomas Jefferson. When they first began preparing for the trip the Louisiana Purchase has not yet taken place and when it finally did, these were the first men to see what Jefferson had purchased.

Their journey, which began in 1804, took them up the Missouri River through Iowa, Nebraska the Dakotas and Montana, then across the Rockies with the final destination being the Pacific Ocean, which they reached in November 1805.

The purpose of this little blog post isn't to summarize the Lewis & Clark expedition, but rather to briefly talk about rivers. 

It's astonishing how much has changed in little over 200 years. I can't even imagine what the world will look like 200 years from now or how history books will describe this period. Back then there were no roads yet. Rivers were the roads of yesteryear. When we reflect on all the major cities in our country you'll notice how they sit at the edge of bodies of water--oceans, lakes and rivers. Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland. In fact, look at the list of cities with an NFL football team and nearly all can be found with a waterway at their feet. (Desert-bound Las Vegas is probably the one exception, though its proximity to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam resolves that problem.)

A bridge across the Mississippi in Minneapolis

While Abe Lincoln was a young attorney in Illinois he saw the future of transportation when he became involved in a lawsuit between riverboats and a railroad bridge. The bridge was blocking the ability of the riverboat to service the river. "Bridges are not welcome here!"

Lincoln spent time studying the issue and came to realize that railroads were the future and somehow a compromise would have to be achieved. It could never be either/or. Years later, this experience as a young man became a see that flowered, leading to the ambitious transcontinental railroad initiative.

* * * 

So, this is a trivia game. What are the ten longest rivers in the United States? What I will do is list them here in the incorrect order. See if you can list them in their correct order. I think you'll be surprised.  

Rio Grande River

Red River

Columbia River

Yukon River

Ohio River

Missouri River

Colorado River

Mississippi River

Arkansas River

Snake River

 * * * 

The Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh, above the Monongahela.

Photos courtesy Gary Firstenburg

Here's a link to his website. Ye shall be impressed.

www.firstinphoto.smugmug.com

Missouri (2341 mi.), Mississippi (2202 mi.), Yukon River (3190 mi.) Rio Grande (1759 mi.), Colorado (1450 mi.), Arkansas (1443 mi.), Columbia (1243 mi.), Red (1125 mi.), Snake (1040 mi.), Ohio (979 mi.)

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