For over 1,000 years a massive, natural log jam covered great swaths of the Red River in Louisiana. Known as the Great Raft, it was integral part of the Caddo culture. Unfortunately, it also made the river unnavigable for ships. As such the United States government attempted to clear it, and only managed to do so thanks to the use of high explosives. But the process forever altered the course of the river thanks to extreme ecological damage. This is the story of the Great Raft of the Red River. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Raft https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=RE009 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/042254248e6f471fa2a2cf1ec880ca08 Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Photographic_Views_of_Red_River_Raft_25.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at
[email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
