>>2043090The Sangamon river, tributary of the Illinois river. Dirty, twisty, and sometimes shallow now, it once was a clear water river. The history of the river is the only thing it has going for it these days. The name "Sangamon" is derived from the Pottawatomie Indian tribe. Kickapoo eventually settled along the river, and other tribes ended in small conflicts in the French and Iroquios wars.
The river led to the creation of what is now the state capitol of Illinois, Springfield. The river also is the beginning of the life of Abraham Lincoln. He canoed from from near Decatur to New Salem and to homestead on his own. It was established as a very profitable commercial route on later years.
Now, it is but a shade of its former self, filled with sediment, chemicals as runoff from Staley and Archer Daniels Midland. The fishing is alright, but the only thing remaining of the river is its history.
