River Confluences - The Four Rivers Reach of the Lower Ohio

Swenson will present his theory as to why and how the 60-mile long segment of the lower Ohio River bordering southernmost Illinois and western Kentucky is so important. At the center of our nation’s navigable interstate river system, the Four Rivers Reach consists of three confluences of four major rivers through which all vessels carrying Native Americans, explorers, hunters, the military, settlers, and others coming or going to the east, the deep south, west, or the northwest had to travel. These three confluences allowed navigation to the southern Appalachians, the Gulf of Mexico, the southwest, north to the Great Lakes and Canada, or westward as far as the Rocky Mountains.

Swenson will share stories of those who traveled to and through the Reach. Many stayed a short while. Others made their homes here. They created towns, conducted commerce, and developed shipyards for over 120 years, launching almost 300 steamboats that worked the entire lengths of most inland rivers. The Four Rivers Reach continues to be at the center of river, rail, and trucking transportation and energy production, storage, and transmission today and in the future.

If you would like to learn more about the Ohio River history and southernmost Illinois, you can visit SIU’s Morris Library’s Special Collections, where the research Swenson conducted with university students and community residents is housed. 

This presentation aligns with the Illinois America 250 Commission's theme, the Power of Place, that helps us explore how our natural and built environments have shaped the settlement, migration, and the development of our state. The Illinois America 250 Commission's goals are to uplift local stories, places, and programs; build pride; and showcase how Illinois brings the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to life.