1) The
name “Meramec” is of Algonquin Indian origin, and means “ugly fish”
or “catfish”, which were abundant in its waters, but however, it is
possible that the river is named after a band of Miami-Illinois (Inoka)
Indians who lived along the Meramec.
2)Jesse
and Frank James used the Meramec Caverns for a hide-out.
3)The
Scotia crossing is the site of the low-water bridge where Onondaga Cave road passes
over the Huzzah Creek. It gets its name from the Nova Scotia Mining Company which
operated an Iron Works near there in the mid-1800's.
4)
Ralph Brown, also known as 'Treehouse Brown' was a famous local character who
lived along the Huzzah on the Steelville side of the Scotia crossing. Because
of the fluctuating water levels of the Huzzah he built and raised his family in
a treehouse, and was one of the first in the area to rent canoes to floaters.
He was a highly decorated WWII veteran who faught tenaciously to keep his land
during the Meramec Dam Project takeover and was one of only two land owners to
succeeded in doing so.
5)
About a mile upstream from the river access at Campbell Bridge (where HWY N crosses
the Meramec).
6)
After the Hinch family who owned the land until forced out by the Corps of Engineers
over the Meramec Dam project.
7)
Some locals also call that spot the 'Blue Hole', although another spot about ten
miles above Onondaga also has that name.
8)
On the right, a couple of miles downstream from the Campbell Bridge access.
9) The Missippians,
also known as Moundbuilders.
10)
The Trophy Trout Area which runs from the confluence of Maramec Spring and the
Meramec to the bridge at Scott's Ford.
11)
It's named after Fred Sanders, because the bridge's construction and the construction
of the previous bridge (that failed) seriously hampered his previously successful
canoe rental business located directly across from the cave park. But, Fred was
diligent and tenacious in his efforts to keep his business going, he even tried
ferrying his customers across the river with a pontoon boat! Fred has passed on,
but his business survived and thrives today.
12)
In a River Raft, with passengers wearing their floatation jackets.
13) Fastest one-person
paddlecraft - kayak. Fastest two-person paddlecraft - canoe.
14)
Narrow low-water bridges made of wooden pilings drove into the river bottom and
a wooden plank and rail surface.
15)
From either end they had the appearance of a long narrow trough, similar to a
much smaller trough that hog farmers used to feed their animals.
16)
Most likely Inner-tubes.
17)
Several very large culvert-like metal pipes (large enough for jet-boats and large
rafts to pass through)set in a huge high block of concrete with a flat top. It
worked fine at normal river stages, but the Meramec fluctuates wildly and at high
water the culverts could not handle the flow so the river washed out the ground
on either side of the bridge, making it useless.
18)
Look it up from the U.S.G.A. page linked to these pages.
19)
French missionary Father Jacques Marquette and his companion Louis Joliet, in
the year 1673.
20)
Looking for precious metals, instead they found the highest quality lead ore in
the world.
21)
Lumber, local farmers hacked railroad ties from hardwood trees and floated them
down the river to the nearest railroad connection.
22)
Later, when landowners along the river tried to fence it off (preventing public
passage), the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the river a public waterway because
of the previous large scale successful usage of shipping railroad ties commercially.
23) The ten mile stretch
from Onondaga to Blue Spring, because of the many large bluffs, Hinch Rock and
several caves.
24)
The Mammoth and Mastodon.
25)
The Saber Toothed Tiger
26)
Dugout Canoes (also called Pirogues), Flatboats and Keelboats (Some steamboats
occasionally navigated the lower Meramec.
27)
Highly fluchuating water levels and large numbers of snags.
28)
Mostly poleing and cordelling.
29)
The Dugout Canoe.
30)
Lead and lumber(railroad ties).
