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Fabius River facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Fabius River (say it like FAY-bee-us) is a short river, about 3.5-mile-long (5.6 km), that flows into the famous Mississippi River in northeastern Missouri, United States. It's not just one river, but actually formed when two other rivers, the North Fabius River and the South Fabius River, meet up close to its end. The North Fabius River even starts its journey in southeastern Iowa before reaching Missouri! Another river, the Middle Fabius River, joins the North Fabius about 8.9 miles (14.3 km) before that meeting point.

Over time, people have changed these rivers quite a bit. They've been made straighter and had their paths changed, which is called channelization.

Have you ever wondered how rivers get their names? For the Fabius River, there are two ideas! Some say it's named after an old Roman leader called Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus. But others, like the State Historical Society of Missouri, think it might be named after a French pioneer who lived in the area a long time ago.

Where the Rivers Flow

The Fabius River system is made up of three main branches, each with its own path.

The North Fabius River

The North Fabius River is the longest of the three main branches, stretching about 109 miles (175 km). It begins near Moulton in southwestern Appanoose County, Iowa. From there, it generally flows southeast through several counties in Iowa and Missouri, including Davis County in Iowa, and Schuyler, Scotland, Knox, Clark, Lewis, and Marion counties in Missouri. Along its way, it passes by towns like Memphis and Monticello. This river also has two smaller branches that join it: the North Fork North Fabius River and the South Fork North Fabius River.

The Middle Fabius River

The Middle Fabius River is about 76 miles (122 km) long. It forms in Scotland County when two smaller streams, the North Fork Middle Fabius River and the South Fork Middle Fabius River, come together. Both of these smaller streams start in Schuyler County. The Middle Fabius then flows southeast through Knox and Lewis counties before joining the North Fabius River in southeastern Lewis County.

The South Fabius River

The South Fabius River is about 82 miles (132 km) long. It begins in Knox County where the North Fork South Fabius River and the South Fork South Fabius River meet. The North Fork starts in Schuyler County and flows through Adair County, while the South Fork also begins in Adair County. Both of these smaller forks flow past the town of Edina. The South Fabius then flows generally south-southeast through Knox, Lewis, Shelby, and Marion counties, passing by the town of Newark. Near Newark, it collects another small river called the Little Fabius River, which flows entirely within Knox County.

How They Join Up

The North and South Fabius rivers finally meet to form the main Fabius River in northeastern Marion County. Originally, they joined about 1 mile (2 km) upstream from where the Fabius River flows into the Mississippi River. However, because of the channelization work, the North Fabius River's path was changed. Now, it joins the South Fabius River about 3 miles (5 km) upstream from the Mississippi. The Fabius River then flows into the mighty Mississippi River about three miles downstream from Quincy, Illinois.

River Location and Name

The mouth of the Fabius River, where it meets the Mississippi, is located here: 39°53′15″N 91°27′17″W / 39.88755°N 91.45460°W / 39.88755; -91.45460.

How Locals Say It

If you talk to people who live near these rivers, you'll often hear them pronounce "Fabius" as either [FAB-ee] or [FAB-ee-us].

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Fabius River Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.