WELCOME TO THE MYTHIC MISSISSIPPI PROJECT. Please watch this brief video introduction. https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_di46ct1l 

The Mississippi is the river that made America. It was a corridor of culture, civilization and commerce for more than a thousand years. The Mississippi looms large in the American imagination and even larger in the factual history of our nation. The longest stretch of the river borders the state of Illinois and it is impossible to understand the development of Illinois without reference to the river. The Mississippi River played a preeminent role in Illinois, in the river towns along its course and in inland communities.   

The Mythic Mississippi is a major public outreach and engagement project of UIUC and UIS. The project’s primary goal is to positively impact downstate Illinois communities by helping them to deploy their cultural heritage resources for economic and social development by means of participation in multiple regional-level heritage tourism trails linking local towns. The project advocates use of cultural heritage resources for community development. 

“So many little Midwestern towns are hidden treasures full of history and memories. They are a testament to our heritage, to the times that once were, and to the people who populated them. Those people left remnants of their lives here, in the form of the buildings and homes they constructed and accounts of important events that helped set the stage for our country’s future.” (SOURCE: https://owlcation.com/humanities/Hidden-History-in-Winchester-Illinois)

Our fundamental premise is this [TM] slogan: 

The Mythic Mississippi Project works collaboratively with local governments, businesses, schools and community partners in the selected towns. In addition to the abundant material on this website which has great educational value and enhances the tourist experience, the project is contributing to exhibitions about local heritage in collaboration with local partners. The project has produced three films and recorded numerous interviews with local experts speaking about various historic topics and thematic issues. 

This project is led by CHAMP/Collaborative for Cultural Heritage Management and Policy at UIUC in partnership with the Public History Program at UIS and in collaboration with local communities. The pages on this website present the many components of this project as it evolves. The website is frequently updated.

University of Illinois Land Acknowledgment Statement. This project takes place in downstate Illinois and therefore on land that was once occupied by Native Peoples who were forcibly removed from their homelands. We recall the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Peankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations.

USING THIS WEBSITE: Please note that various web pages cross-list with others, as is the intent of the project’s concept of layering.

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Note: All images on this website were either taken by the project personnel or are in the public domain or are used with permission. The project brand phrase “Mythic Mississippi” is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ©© by this project (“The Mythic Mississippi Project”) and copyrighted ©. Any use of the “Mythic Mississippi” phrase must attribute it to the Project.