Thursday, November 18, 2010

French King - A Drink of the River


Running eastward through 42N country is the Iowa River. In Coralville the impounded river forms the Coralville Reservoir. Upstream from the pool of the lake is the natural course of the Iowa as seen here. The river traverses farmland and urban centers alike. Today cities draw and purify water from the river for drinking and discharge.

A world away and 900 years ago during the Battle of Gisors French King Philip Augustus lost his footing on a bridge and drank of the river. While French rivers have appealing names, our local Iowa River may be comparable. Then again, at one time, the Iowa River was a French possession. President Thomas Jefferson authorized the acquisition of these lands from the French for $15 million. The transaction is known today as the Louisiana Purchase. Know that.

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