The Hernando de Soto Bridge — Memphis Undercrossing

The Mississippi River crossing at Memphis sits near the spot where Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto became the first European to reach the Mississippi River in 1541 — and where he died of fever and was buried in the river to prevent his body from being desecrated by the local Natchez people. The river bottom near this crossing is considered sacred by several indigenous nations. Fishermen below the bridge report seeing a man in 16th-century Spanish armor standing on a sandbar that appears briefly at low water, and Native spiritual leaders conduct private ceremonies at this location annually.