Cuivre River
Encyclopedia
The Cuivre River is a 41.6 miles (66.9 km) river in the east central part of the state of Missouri
, north of the Missouri River
terminus. A good part of its course marks the borders between Lincoln
and St. Charles counties before emptying into the Mississippi River
north of St. Louis
. The Cuivre River State Park
near Troy, Missouri
has its southwestern borders on the river. The river is declared not to be a navigable stream, and shall be so treated by the Secretary of the Army.
The Cuivre River received its name from French-speaking settlers during the French Louisiana
. It was named after Baron Georges Leopold Cuvier
, a French naturalist and paleontologist, who was first to do comparative anatomy and the classification of animals and fossils. When France acquired the territory west of the Mississippi River, Cuvier sent two of his students to America to get specimens of flora and fauna and to assess the climate and topography of the new acquisition. When the young men reached the river in what is now the Lincoln County area, it was known to the local French as Rivière aux Boeufs because of the numerous buffalo roaming its banks. The two scientists decided a more impressive name for the stream would be "Cuvier", and labeled it such on their maps. When the English-speaking settlers arrived, the spelling was changed to "Cuivre" and the pronunciation anglicized to "Quiver". Because the French word for copper is cuivre, the American settlers mistakenly assumed that the French intended the name to be the "Copper River."
The Battle of the Sink Hole
was fought near the mouth of the Cuivre at the end of the War of 1812
.
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, north of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
terminus. A good part of its course marks the borders between Lincoln
Lincoln County, Missouri
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,944 people, 13,851 households, and 10,554 families residing in the county. The population density was 62 people per square mile . There were 15,511 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
and St. Charles counties before emptying into the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
north of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The Cuivre River State Park
Cuivre River State Park
The Cuivre River State Park is located in northeastern Missouri, United States, east of Troy. The park was established in 1946 and offers camping, fishing on Sugar Creek, swimming, and hiking....
near Troy, Missouri
Troy, Missouri
Troy is a city in Lincoln County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 10,540. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.Troy is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area...
has its southwestern borders on the river. The river is declared not to be a navigable stream, and shall be so treated by the Secretary of the Army.
The Cuivre River received its name from French-speaking settlers during the French Louisiana
French Louisiana
The term French Louisiana refers to two distinct regions:* first, to colonial French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by France; and,...
. It was named after Baron Georges Leopold Cuvier
Georges Cuvier
Georges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
, a French naturalist and paleontologist, who was first to do comparative anatomy and the classification of animals and fossils. When France acquired the territory west of the Mississippi River, Cuvier sent two of his students to America to get specimens of flora and fauna and to assess the climate and topography of the new acquisition. When the young men reached the river in what is now the Lincoln County area, it was known to the local French as Rivière aux Boeufs because of the numerous buffalo roaming its banks. The two scientists decided a more impressive name for the stream would be "Cuvier", and labeled it such on their maps. When the English-speaking settlers arrived, the spelling was changed to "Cuivre" and the pronunciation anglicized to "Quiver". Because the French word for copper is cuivre, the American settlers mistakenly assumed that the French intended the name to be the "Copper River."
The Battle of the Sink Hole
Battle of the Sink Hole
The Battle of the Sink Hole was fought on May 24, 1815, after the official end of the War of 1812, between Missouri Rangers and Sauk Indians led by Black Hawk. The Sauk were unaware, or did not care, that their British patrons had signed the Treaty of Ghent with the U.S...
was fought near the mouth of the Cuivre at the end of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.