The Sgt. Floyd Monument-- Part 5: His After Death Saga

From Wikipedia.

On 1857,  erosion had caused most of Charles Floyd's  grave, even the original cedar post left as his marker, to  slide into the river and wash away. Concerned citizens recovered most of his skeleton, including his skull, and buried it 200 meters east of its original spot.  A forensic  reconstruction of Sgt. Floyd's probable facial appearance  based on a plaster cast of his skull is on display at the Sergeant Floyd Riverboat Museum in  Sioux City, Iowa.

After Floyd's expedition journal was published in 1894, new interest was taken in him and  his remains were reburied again on August 25, 1895, the anniversary of his death.    Sioux City residents Thomas J.  Stone,  John H. Charles, George G. Perkins,  C.R. Marks and G.W.  Wakefield established the  Floyd Association to erect a monument.

It took five years to raise $20,000 and development began in 1900 with the pouring of a concrete base.

Floyd's remains were reinterred a final time on August 20,  1900, the anniversary of his death.  The obelisk of white sandstone, standing  100 feet high was completed on May 30, 1901.  In 1960, the monument was recognized by the  U.S. Department of the Interior as the first National Historic Landmark on June  30, 1960.

The Sgt. Floyd Monument in Iowa-- Part 4: Four Burials for Floyd

In 1857, erosion by the Missouri River partially exposed Charles Floyd's grave.  Local settlers recovered  and reinterred most of the skeletal remains in a different location on the bluff.  The grave was moved again in 1895.  

The Sgt. Floyd Monument, a 100-foot tall sandstone obelisk was built in 1901.  Floyd's remains were moved a third time and reburied at the base of the monument.

Located along U.S. Highway 75 in Sioux City, Iowa, the monument is within a 23-acre park overlooking the Missouri River valley.

--Cooter

Low Water in 2012 Exposed History-- Part 2

Old boats and sunken steamboats from the 1800s are now visible.  In the 1800s a person could have seen hundreds of steamboats by St. Louis each day  people, supplies and goods used the rivers for transport.  The average life span of a steamboat was just five years.  Some 500-700 operated in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers alone.  besides obvious water perils, there was always the danger of boiler explosions, lightning and accidents.

The steamboat Montana sank near St. Charles, Missouri, and it was as large as a football field and extremely lavish, a favorite of the rich passengers.

It is illegal to take items from these uncovered ships as they are owned by the state.

Last year, a piece of the space shuttle Columbia was found in an east Texas lake because of the drought.

A 125-year-old wooden steamer has been found in Michigan.

The World War II minesweeper USS Inaugural  has also been seen resting on the exposed river bottom.  It was a museum ship that was sunk during the Great Flood of 1993.

Steamboating.  --  DaCoot

Low Water in 2012 Showed History-- Part 1

From the December 22, 2012, Yahoo! News/AP "Low-water rivers offering up a glimpse of history" by John Salter.

Lack of rain has caused the lowest levels of rivers in decades and resulted in problems for commerce, concern for water supplies and hydro power.But, the low waters also have uncovered objects long-hidden.  Old steamboats were visible in the Missouri River near St. Charles.  A World War II minesweeper is now visible near St. Louis.

A rock has become visible in the Mississippi River in southeast Missouri that contains an etching (possibly a map) that is believed to be up to 1,200 years old.  It once wasn't in the water but a new channel was made and it is exposed only in periods of extreme drought.  Officials aren't giving its exact location for fear of looting.

Low Water Can be Good.  --Cooter