A short drive south of Hannibal is St. Louis. The big city on the Big Muddy, jumping off point for our country's westward expansion. It was here that Lewis and Clark left to find a water route to the sea. This city grew as trappers, traders, gamblers, riverboats and pioneers all came and either setup house or continued on west.
The St. Louis Arch, Gateway to the West.
I got to watch this being built in the 60's. I never went up in it until today! You ride up in a SMALL elevator car that crams 5 people in and travels up the leg of the arch taking 4 minutes to reach the top. Then another 35 steps up and you are at the top. You can see about 30 miles from the top on a clear day.
At the top, the low overhead and some of our fellow sardines.
partial view of downtown St. Louis. The old courthouse at top center was where Dred Scott and his wife first sued for their freedom.
Looking across the river to Illinois.
You many wonder why, with me working in St. Louis, trips to see our family in St. Louis did I not take the ride to the top before this? Simple, I do not like heights or closed spaces! I am older now so I say "what the heck" Better late than never, I guess!
630 Feet up, you gotta be kidding us!!!!
An interesting New Mexico connection. The plaque on the left is at the museum under the St. Louis Arch. The photo on the right is located on the road to Taos.
We also were able to tour a dam and lock on the Mississippi. It is interesting to note that the dams on the Mississippi are not for flood control, those are located on the rivers that feed the Mississippi. The dams on the river are to ensure that the river will be maintained at a depth to allow tows and barges have enough water under their keels to move goods up and down the river.
How important is this? Nearly 90% of the grain we export is moved on the Mississippi, the world is literally fed by allowing the tows and barges to keep running. As the river falls over 1400 feet during its journey south, the dam and lock system allow the river traffic to move up and down the river. Coal is sent north to power mills and grain is sent south for export.
The museum is located at a dam and lock in Afton, IL.
The Melvin Price Dam and Lock with a "tow" as it is called, moved into a lock and the gates being closed behind it. At this point of the river, this tow will rise 18 feet to continue up north. Interesting note is that a standard tow in considered 15 barges and the river tug. They can get larger on the southern Mississippi but in this area, 15 barges is the limit.
Safely in the lock waiting for the water to rise. Generally the barge tow crews work 30 days on and 30 days off. While on duty, the shift is 6 hours on and 6 off.
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