Groff Memorial Public Library in Grayville will host a special history program, “River Confluences: The Four Rivers Reach of the Lower Ohio,” on Saturday, July 25th.
The presentation begins at 1 p.m. at the library, located at 118 S. Middle Street.
Presenter Bob Swenson, a retired architect, SIU Carbondale professor emeritus, and Yale School of Architecture graduate, will explore the history and significance of the 60-mile stretch of the Ohio River that borders Illinois and Kentucky, known as the Four Rivers Reach.
The program will examine how the confluence of four major rivers served as a vital transportation corridor for Native Americans, explorers, hunters, military forces, settlers, and merchants. Swenson will also discuss the development of towns and commerce along the river, the region’s shipbuilding industry, and the nearly 300 steamboats launched there over a span of more than 120 years that traveled inland waterways across the country.
The program is sponsored by Groff Memorial Public Library with support from Illinois Humanities. Organizers invite the public to attend and learn more about the rich history of one of the Midwest’s most important river corridors.