We finished our 2nd week of the temple break - a little quieter and restful for dad which he needed. We went to see the first fort built on the upper Mississippi River - Fort Madison. It acted as a trading post between US and native Americans and was the site of a battle between Chief Blackhawk and US soldiers in the War of 1812. How’s that for a bit of obscure history!
Another day we went to the Keokuk Lock and Dam to see a barge go through the lock. The Mississippi River is about 30 feet higher on one side of the dam than the other. So we watched a barge go into the lock and the water fill to raise it to the higher side. It was quite interesting. When it was built in 1913 it was the largest hydro power plant in the world. Thousands of barges go through it every year.
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