Piasa - Monster of the Mississippi episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 27, 2026 · 19 MIN

Piasa - Monster of the Mississippi

from History Dispatches · host Matt and McKinley Breen

According to legend, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, there is a monster. It has horns like a deer, terrible red eyes, a long, twisting tail, and is covered in scales. This fearsome creature was seen in 1673 - painted on the bluffs above the Mississippi - by Father Jacques Marquette - one of the first Europeans to travel down the length of the great river. This is the story of the Piasa - the monster of the Mississippi River. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers only, varies by plan. 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year while subscription is active. Sources https://www.riversandroutes.com/directory/piasa-bird/ https://mythicmississippi.illinois.edu/native-illinois/piasa-bird/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piasa Piasa today: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piasa-Bird-Alton-IL.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

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 27, 2026

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Piasa - Monster of the Mississippi

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