Tower Rock, also known as Grand Tower, is a
rock formation
A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock formation'' can also refer to specific sediment ...
and landmark island in the
Mississippi River, in
Brazeau Township,
Perry County, Missouri, near the town of
Wittenberg, Missouri, and across the river from
Grand Tower, Illinois. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
[
Tower Rock has also been dubbed with many names over the centuries: Cap de Roche, Cap St. Croix la Tour, La Roche de la Croix, Rock of St. Cosme, Castle Rock, and Devil's Tower.]...we found ourselves at a river called ouaboukigou, The mouth of which is at the 36th degree of latitude. Before reaching it, we passed by a Place that is dreaded by the Savages, because they believe that a manitou is there, — that is to say, a demon, — that devours travelers; and The savages, who wished to divert us from our undertaking, warned us against it. This is the demon: there is a small cove, surrounded by rocks 20 feet high, into which The whole Current of the river rushes; and, being pushed back against the waters following It, and checked by an Island near by, the Current is Compelled to pass through a narrow Channel. This is not done without a violent Struggle between all these waters, which force one another back, or without a great din, which inspires terror in the savages....
Another early mention of the rock was by French-Canadian seminarian priests, Fathers Montigny, Davion, and St. Cosme, who planted a cross on the rock in 1698.
A ridge directly across the river from the island is named Devil's Backbone.
The earliest European inhabitants on the island were a band of river pirates, who settled here after being driven off Spanish soil west of the Mississippi River, using the location as a pirate ambush spot. This outlaw
An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...
haven was destroyed in 1803 by the United States Army dragoon
Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...
s, most likely sent from the army post upriver at Fort Kaskaskia.
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...
mentions the island in his journals, stating that rivermen who passed the rock would celebrate in a way similar to sailors crossing the equator, by raising a drink of spirits.
Lutherans from Germany considered this island their Plymouth Rock, because they landed near here after seeking a place where they could practice religious freedom.
Although the rock is normally inaccessible by foot, Mike Keeley, then manager of the Tower Rock National Historic Site for the Missouri Department of Conservation, said in 2003 that there is usually a time every year when people can walk out to it due to low water conditions. Due to severe drought in October 2022, it was reported that "you can walk over to Tower Rock and not get your feet wet or muddy".
References
External links
Tower Rock
- Missouri Department of Conservation
Tower Rock Natural Area
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Protected areas of Perry County, Missouri
River islands of Missouri
Islands of the Mississippi River
Protected areas of Missouri
Natural features on the National Register of Historic Places
Landforms of Perry County, Missouri
National Register of Historic Places in Perry County, Missouri