Sikeston Ridge
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 when the Mississippi River flowed west of Sikeston, United States. This Southeast Missouri ridge runs from the area of Haywood City south through Sikeston towards the Mississippi River town of New Madrid, Missouri. The most dominant ridge in the area is Crowley's Ridge which is 150 miles (240 km) long and with an average height of 400 feet (120 m).
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 used as the location for a small stretch of this road.
Before the surrounding swampland was drained, this ridge was an important strategic location in the early days of the American Civil War.
Location
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) provides three location points running along the ridge:
- 36°53′42″N 89°35′16″W / 36.89505°N 89.58786°W[1]
- 36°48′50″N 89°34′29″W / 36.81394°N 89.57480°W[1]
- 36°43′21″N 89°31′30″W / 36.72256°N 89.52508°W[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Sikeston Ridge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2014-01-27.
- ^ "Sikeston Ridge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2014-01-27.