The Iroquois River meanders quietly through the centre of Rensselaer, crossed by a few low bridges and lined with park grass on the west bank. The town has set up a short riverwalk along the most accessible stretch, popular with dog walkers and people working out at lunchtime. It is not a wild river — flat, slow, and bracketed by farm country — but the cottonwoods and willows along the banks turn yellow in October and the small park benches make for a pleasant ten-minute pause on a drive between Indianapolis and Chicago.