I haven't seen the Mississippi in almost 30 years, but I do remember it's amazing presence (at least between Missouri and Illinois) and it's ability to inspire awe. One of my favorite memories recalls watching 4th of July fireworks over the Mississippi at Hannibal, Missouri in 1978.
I've mentioned this here before (like maybe 5 years ago or so), but I seriously believe the main street intersection--Rising Sun Avenue and Tabor Road--closest to where I live (in the Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia) was long ago a solstice celebration site of the Lenni Lenape. This intersection, which today comprises a Cambodian run gas station, ED'S PIZZA run by Puerto Ricans, CEDAR GROVE CHURCH (which I think is still a Baptist congregation), and D's CRABS, run by young, white entrepreneur, is were the original town of Olney began like 120 years ago. It is also a high vantage point overlooking the quondam Rock Run (stream tunneled underground, today's Ashdale Street) valley, and the culmination point of a Lenni Lenape trail, today's Rising Sun Avenue. The name Rising Sun goes back to the Lenni Lenape as well--from the folklore you get the impression that the "natives" didn't really want the "whiteman" (in this case early German settlers) to go up "rising sun" because that's were the Great Spirit was. Interestingly, Rising Sun Avenue forks off of Germantown Avenue, which was also originally an "Indian" trail. Anyway, the intersection of Rising Sun and Tabor is the point of a plateau where when you follow the edge of the plateau east you wind up looking at where the sun rises on the solstice, and when you look south, you're looking almost directly straight down Rising Sun Avenue, and when you follow the edge of the plateau west you wind up looking at where the sun sets on the solstice.
In early 2002, I found out that there indeed was an "Indian camp" at the mouth of Rock Run where it joins Tacony Creek, which is literally "just down the hill" from Rising Sun and Tabor.
I've mentioned this here before (like maybe 5 years ago or so), but I seriously believe the main street intersection--Rising Sun Avenue and Tabor Road--closest to where I live (in the Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia) was long ago a solstice celebration site of the Lenni Lenape. This intersection, which today comprises a Cambodian run gas station, ED'S PIZZA run by Puerto Ricans, CEDAR GROVE CHURCH (which I think is still a Baptist congregation), and D's CRABS, run by young, white entrepreneur, is were the original town of Olney began like 120 years ago. It is also a high vantage point overlooking the quondam Rock Run (stream tunneled underground, today's Ashdale Street) valley, and the culmination point of a Lenni Lenape trail, today's Rising Sun Avenue. The name Rising Sun goes back to the Lenni Lenape as well--from the folklore you get the impression that the "natives" didn't really want the "whiteman" (in this case early German settlers) to go up "rising sun" because that's were the Great Spirit was. Interestingly, Rising Sun Avenue forks off of Germantown Avenue, which was also originally an "Indian" trail. Anyway, the intersection of Rising Sun and Tabor is the point of a plateau where when you follow the edge of the plateau east you wind up looking at where the sun rises on the solstice, and when you look south, you're looking almost directly straight down Rising Sun Avenue, and when you follow the edge of the plateau west you wind up looking at where the sun sets on the solstice.
In early 2002, I found out that there indeed was an "Indian camp" at the mouth of Rock Run where it joins Tacony Creek, which is literally "just down the hill" from Rising Sun and Tabor.