Sikeston Ridge
Encyclopedia
Sikeston Ridge is a two mile (3 km) wide topographic terrace with an average height of 20 feet (6.1 m) deposited by the Ohio River
. It was formed many years ago when the Mississippi River
flowed west of Sikeston
. This Southeast Missouri
ridge runs from area of Haywood City
south through Sikeston
towards the historic Mississippi River town of New Madrid, Missouri
. However, the most dominant ridge in the surrounding area is Crowley's Ridge
which is 150 miles (241.4 km) long and with an average height of 400 feet (121.9 m) and formation. In 1789, the King of Spain ordered that an overland route be laid out to connect the cities of St. Louis
and New Orleans. The high ground from the Sikeston Ridge was use as the location for a small stretch of this road. Before the surrounding swampland was drained, this ridge was an even more important geographical feature and was an important strategic location in the early days of the American Civil War
.
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. It was formed many years ago when the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
flowed west of Sikeston
Sikeston, Missouri
Sikeston is a city located both in southern Scott County and northern New Madrid County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is geographically situated just north of the "Missouri Bootheel", although many locals consider Sikeston a part of it. By way of Interstate 55, Sikeston is close to the...
. This Southeast Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
ridge runs from area of Haywood City
Haywood City, Missouri
Haywood City is a village in Scott County, Missouri, United States. The population was 239 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Haywood City is located at ....
south through Sikeston
Sikeston, Missouri
Sikeston is a city located both in southern Scott County and northern New Madrid County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is geographically situated just north of the "Missouri Bootheel", although many locals consider Sikeston a part of it. By way of Interstate 55, Sikeston is close to the...
towards the historic Mississippi River town of New Madrid, Missouri
New Madrid, Missouri
New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...
. However, the most dominant ridge in the surrounding area is Crowley's Ridge
Crowley's Ridge
Crowley's Ridge is an unusual geological formation that rises 250 to above the alluvial plain of the Mississippi embayment in a line from southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, Arkansas. It is the most prominent feature in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain between Cape...
which is 150 miles (241.4 km) long and with an average height of 400 feet (121.9 m) and formation. In 1789, the King of Spain ordered that an overland route be laid out to connect the cities of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and New Orleans. The high ground from the Sikeston Ridge was use as the location for a small stretch of this road. Before the surrounding swampland was drained, this ridge was an even more important geographical feature and was an important strategic location in the early days of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
See also
- Crowley's RidgeCrowley's RidgeCrowley's Ridge is an unusual geological formation that rises 250 to above the alluvial plain of the Mississippi embayment in a line from southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, Arkansas. It is the most prominent feature in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain between Cape...
- Headwater Diversion ChannelHeadwater Diversion ChannelThe Headwater Diversion Channel is a canal in southeast Missouri. Flowing west to east, it diverts the headwaters of the Castor and Whitewater rivers and Crooked Creek directly into the Mississippi River south of Cape Girardeau. It was built between 1910 and 1916 by the Little River Drainage District...
- Little River (St. Francis River)