Around the Bend Trivia Quiz

Answer: Columbia River

In addition to flowing through the states of Washington and Oregon, the Columbia also flows through the Canadian province of British Columbia (where it originates). At 1,243 miles long, the Columbia has a basin size of over a quarter of a million square miles.

Of the four cities mentioned in the question, the largest by far is Portland, OR. Wenatchee, WA, is located near the meeting point of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers and is known as the "Apple Capital of the World". Like Wenatchee, Richland, WA, is also located near the confluence of two rivers (the Columbia and the Yakima). Richland is one of Washington's "Tri-Cities" (along with Kennewick and Pasco).

Portland, OR, is named for Portland, ME, and is nicknamed the "Rose City".
Portland is located in the Willamette Valley which contains a large fraction of Oregon's population. Astoria is on the south shore of the Columbia, where it enters into the Pacific Ocean. It was developed in the 19th century as part of the fur trade of the Pacific Northwest.

Answer: Rio Grande River

The Rio Grande River runs for 1,896 miles through the states of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. A significant fraction of the river also helps to define the border between the United States and Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas). The river provides an important water source for farming throughout the region.

Alamosa, CO, was founded in 1878 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. Despite the relatively small size of the town, there are four bridges crossing the Rio Grande. Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the capital of that state. It is located where the (seasonal) Santa Fe River meets the Rio Grande.

El Paso, TX lies across the Rio Grande from the Mexican city of Ciduad Juarez. An annual event, the KLAQ Great River Raft Race, takes pace on the Rio Grande the next to last Saturday in June. There are several international bridges crossing the Rio Grande in the El Paso area. Brownsville, TX, is where the Rio Grande flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of the southernmost cities in the Continental United States.

Answer: Red River

The Red River (of the South) runs through the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana for 1,360 miles. The river gets its name from its reddish water gained from the soil of the area through which it passes. The land through which the river passes is mainly used for agriculture and contains few large cities.

Marietta, OK, is the county seat of Love County, OK. Cotton was an important crop early in the region. Denison, TX, was founded in 1872 by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. It was also the birthplace of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Texarkana, AR lies across the Red River from Texarkana, TX. Residents of Texarkana are exempt from Arkansas personal income taxes. Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. Oil was an important part of the economy for Shreveport in the late 19th and much of the 20th century.

Answer: Missouri River

At 2,341 miles, the Missouri is the longest river in the United States. It flows through seven states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. In conjunction with the Mississippi River, it is the fourth longest river in the world.

Great Falls, MT (the county seat of the appropriately named Cascade County) is named for a series of waterfalls on the Missouri River. Black Eagle Dam (1890), located in Great Falls, is the oldest hydroelectric dam in Montana. Bismarck, North Dakota, is the state capital and is named for German chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Public docks along the Missouri River allow for fishing as a year-round sport.

Sioux City, IA, is the farthest upstream on the Missouri River which modern cargo ships can generally travel. The Sergeant Floyd Monument, in Sioux City, commemorates the only member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to die during the journey. Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest city in that state. Meat packing was an important industry in the city in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Answer: Snake River

The 1,078 mile long Snake River is a major tributary of the Columbia River. It passes through Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Fifteen hydroelectric dams cross the Snake River. Its watershed contains over 100,000 square miles.

Located in Jackson Hole Valley, Jackson, WY, is the seat of Teton County. Tourism plays an important role in its economy. Twin Falls, ID, is actually located near three waterfalls on the Snake River. The original core of Twin Falls has a street grid of southwest to northeast and northwest to southeast roads.

Ontario, OR, located in the far east of the state, has the slogan "Where Oregon Begins". Agriculture and food processing are an important part of the town's economy. Clarkston, WA, is named for William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The town serves as a transport exchange point for goods heading towards the Pacific or further inland.

Answer: Colorado River

The Colorado River travels through the states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California (plus the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora). The river runs for 1,450 miles and is an important water source for millions of people. The Colorado has several important tributaries including the Gila and Green Rivers.

Moab, UT, is an important base point for mountain bikers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts. Mining became an important industry in the area in the 20th century. Boulder City, NV, developed in the 1930s to provide housing for workers on what would become Hoover Dam. It is one of the few locations in Nevada where gambling is illegal.

Blythe, CA, is a midway point between several larger cities including Los Angeles and Phoenix. Irrigation allows for agriculture in the area. Yuma, AZ, serves as a winter home for a significant number of retirees. Yuma is located at one of the easier crossing points along the Colorado River.

Answer: Ohio River

At 981 miles long, the Ohio River flows through or by Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. Traditionally, the river formed part of the border between the North and the South in the United States. The Ohio is, unfortunately, one of the most polluted rivers in the United States.

In the city of Pittsburgh, the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers join together to form the Ohio River. Three Rivers Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers from 1970 to 2000, stood near the spot where the three rivers came together. Wheeling, West Virginia, can be found in the northern panhandle in the state. The National Road reached Wheeling in 1818.

Louisville, KY, is the home of the Louisville Slugger baseball bats. The Falls of the Ohio, a series of rapids on that river, lie near Louisville. Cairo, IL, lies in an area of Southern Illinois known as Little Egypt. In 1842, Charles Dickens visited Cairo and used it as the model in his novel "Martin Chuzzlewit" for the City of Eden.

Answer: Mississippi River

The Mississippi River flows for 2,320 miles from its source at Lake Itasca. The river flows through ten states including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In the United States, most radio and television stations east of the Mississippi have call signs starting with the letter W. Those west of the river usually have call signs starting with the letter K.

St. Paul, Minnesota, is the capital of the state and with Minneapolis is known as the Twin Cities. An earlier name for the settlement was Pig's Eye. Rock Island, IL, is one of the Quad Cities (found in Illinois and Iowa). Rock Island was the location of the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi.

Memphis, TN, is the seat for Shelby County. The River Walk is a connected series of parks in Memphis along the Mississippi River. New Orleans, LA, is a major port on the lower Mississippi River. Significant portions of New Orleans lie slightly below sea level. Levees have been built along portions of the Mississippi.

Answer: Tennessee River

The Tennessee River is a major tributary of the Ohio River. Running for 692 miles, it flows through Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Damming of the river, under the supervision of the Tennessee Valley authority provided a major source of electrical power to the region in the 1930s.

Knoxville, Tennessee, was the first capital of the state. The building of railroads in the region in the 1850s led to a significant amount of economic growth. Factories and mills aided in the growth of Huntsville, AL, which lies on the north shore of the Tennessee River. In the late 20th century, the city played an important role in US space missions.

Muscle Shoals, AL, has played a significant role in US popular music since the 1960s. During World War One, a dam was begun on the Tennessee River to help power a nitrate factory being built. Paducah, KY, lies near where the Tennessee River flows into the Ohio River. Paducah is the site of the National Quilt Museum.

Answer: Arkansas River

The Arkansas, a major tributary of the Mississippi River, is 1,469 miles long. It flows through the states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Beginning in 1821, for over two decades parts of the Arkansas River formed the boundary of the United States and Mexico.

Pueblo, CO, lies at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek. Pueblo is a major steel-producing town in the western United States. Before the 1920s, Pueblo was also referred to as the "Saddle-Making capital of the World". Dodge City, KS, is associated with the era of the "Wild West". The town played an important role in the cattle trade of the late 1800s.

Wichita, Kansas, is the largest city in the state. The presence of several companies involved in the manufacture of aircraft led to the city being known as the "Aviation Capital of the World" in the 1920s and 1930s. Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the second largest city in the state. In the 20th century, Tulsa played an important role in the US oil industry.