Can Vandalians be called river rats?

I moved from Vandalia to Springfield in the fall of 1970. It was about this time that I found out we Vandalians, or at least this particular one, are considered "River Rats" by some of the "flatlanders" up north.
The first time I heard the phrase, I protested! My folks lived on North First Street,  and the Kaskaskia River flowed a short distance from our back yard, but I didn’t think much about it. I knew the river was behind our house somewhere, hidden by the trees, but did not spend time looking for it. A river rat, indeed!

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The Leader-Union | circulation@leaderunion.com | 618-283-3374
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