River Bend (Illinois) River Bend (Illinois) The River Bend is a small region in western central Illinois and Southern Illinois that comprises parts of three counties: Madison, Calhoun, and Jersey. The name comes from a section of Mississippi River that flows roughly west to east instead of the usual north to south, causing a bend in the river. In this area, two other major rivers, the Missouri and the Illinois join the Mississippi River. This section of the Mississippi River is known as the Alton Lake The part in Madison County that locals consider part of the River Bend is the section north
Vermilion River (Illinois River) these as a single river that flowed in two directions. It is also possible that, in early settlement times, these rivers formed a canoe route between the Illinois River and Wabash River, with a portage through the marshes near Roberts. This may explain why the two rivers have the same name. The north-flowing Vermilion flows in a northerly direction from its origin in Livingston and Ford counties in north central Illinois, eventually emptying into the Illinois River, near Oglesby. Perhaps it is best known for its stretch of whitewater between Lowell and Oglesby, Illinois, which is one of few found