The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-07-01

tory could not be complete With
out including the story of the Mississippi and
1t has furnished the theme for what seems des-
tined to become one of the folk songs OF the
nation-"Or Man River"
To Spaniard goes the credit for being the
first white man to stand upon its banks and
that man was fernando De Soto who "discOv-
cred" the Mississippi in 1541 although there is
possibility that Panflo Narvaez, following the
coast of the Gulf of Mexico, saw the mouth
OF the Mississippi as early as 1927 or 1928. 1t
was In May, 1884, near Chickasaw Bluffs in what
is now the state of Mississippi that De Soto,
marching westward in search of gold refined In
his horse on the east bank of the Great River
year later he was to find watery grave in that
stream and the remnant of his command, un-
der Luis de Moscosco, fioated down the river to
the gulf and then made their way back to Mex
ic0 So while De Soto has the credit for being
the first white man to see the main stream OF
the Mississippi, it was his lieutenant Moscosco,
who was most likely the first white man to see
It's southern terminal.
It was the French, however rather than the
Spanish who made the Mississippi one OF the
main routes of travel in extending their empire
In the New world. Did Pierre Esprit Radsson
and Medard Chouart Groseiers, fur traders Of
Three Rivers, Quebec, discover the Upper Mis-
sissippi In 1859? Some historians say they did
not but Agnes G. Laut In her "Pathfnders OF
the Vest states unequivocally that they did
and produces what seems to be abundant PROOF
to back up her assertions. But whether they
did or didn't reach the Mississippi, only few
more years were to elapse before Frenchmen
were to be navigating the upper waters of the
river-Marquette, the Jesuit priest, and Louis
Joliet, the fur trader exploring it from the
mouth of the Wisconsin river in 1878 and fol-
lowing 1t as far south as the mouth OF the Ar
kansas river; Louis Hennepin exploring 1t north
from the Wisconsin river to the Falls OF st. An
thony; and Rene Cavalier de la Sale in 1852
floating down the Mississippi from the mouth OF
the Illinois to where the Great River emptieS
into the Gulf, the first man to follow 1t for SO
long distance and there at the mouth to
raise the banner of France and take possess
sion Of the vast empire drained by this river
in the name of his king.
For more than century the white men, Brit
fish and French busy with their struggle for
domination of North America. did no more to
solve the whole mystery of the Mississippi-its
course from source to mouth. No doubt there
was much speculation as to the origin of this
mighty waterway during this time but 1t was
mot until 1898 that David Thompson, a British
surveyor and trader for the Northwest company,
while returning to Grand Portage from trad
lng visit to the Mandan villages in what is now
North Dakota, found the present body OF water
known as Turtle lake which he believed to be
the source Of the Mississippi.
But his claims were ,flisproved seven years
later by dashing young American army officer,
Lieut. Zebulon NJ. Pike who followed the Mis-
sissippi north to its headwaters Pike left st.
Louis on August o. 1906. in keelboat, with 20
men and provisions for four months, under or
ders, among other things, to ascend the main
branch of the Mississippi to its source" BY
October Pike had reached the present site of
Little Falls, MINI. There winter overlook him
and he built fort for use as his base Of OPP
erations. Undaunted by the bitter weather Pike
started north early in December, travelling by
dog sleds over the frozen river He reached
Sandy lake, Leech lake, which he considered the
Smain source of the Mississippi" and Upper
Red Cedar lake, now called Cass lake, which he
reported to be the upper source of the Mis-
sissippi."
His discovery" was verified IA years later
when Gov. Lewis Cass of Michigan territory
led an exploring party to the shores Of Cass
lake in 1890 Cass and his party left Detroit on
May "a in three big birch-bark canoes and on
9uly entered the mouth Of the st. Louis river
L.