The Mississippi River is an river for trade, recreation, and culture. It runs all the way from the U.S. state of Minnesota down to the Gulf of . The name comes from an American Indian meaning "great river". The first European to reach the Mississippi was Hernando de Soto of Spain, who came there in 1541. In 1682 a group of French explorers claimed the for their country. The city of New Orleans was near the river in 1718. The United States acquired the with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The Mississippi gained fame with the books of Mark Twain, which life on the river. Twain worked on a steamboat on the river in the late 1850s. Boats still down the river today. People also water-ski and there. There are seven national recreation areas along the river where people can go to enjoy .