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Chapter 4 Transforming the River I: Commerce and Navigation Improvements, 1823-1906

response to their lobbying, Congress authorized four broad projects to improve navigation on the upper river and a number of site-specific projects in the Twin Cities metropol- itan area since 1866. The four broad projects are known as

1 the 4-, 4 /2-, 6- and 9-foot channel projects. Key local proj- he gave birth to most cities ects included Locks and Dams 1 (Ford Dam) and 2 along its banks, and those cities did all they (Hastings), Lower and Upper St. Anthony Falls Locks and could to ensure that the river would nurture Dams, and the little known Meeker Island Lock and Dam, theirT growth. From their pioneer days on, they insisted that which was the river’s first and shortest-lived lock and dam the federal government should “improve” the river for navi- (Figure 2). In less than 100 years, these projects would rad- gation. St. Paul and pushed especially hard. ically transform the river that nature had created over mil- Lying at the head of navigation, they demanded a river capa- lions of years and that Native Americans had hunted along, ble of delivering the immigrants needed to populate the canoed on, and fished in for thousands of years. land (not considering that they had taken it from Native Americans) and the tools and provisions needed to fully use Navigation on the Natural River: it. They also demanded a navigable river so they could 1823-1866 deliver the bounty of their labor and their new land to the Early Navigation • Paddling upstream from St. Louis to St. country and the world. All this, they believed, was part of Paul in 1823, the Virginia became the first steamboat to their manifest destiny. To fulfill that destiny, they would navigate the upper Mississippi River. It did so twice that help transform the entire upper Mississippi River and make year. Other boats had been plying the upper river–Indian the reach between Hastings and St. Anthony Falls one of the canoes, piroques, flatboats and keelboats–but the Virginia river’s most engineered. (Figure 1) announced a new era. Under steam power, people and goods The Twin Cities had to see that the entire Mississippi could be transported upstream far more quickly and in River was remade. They needed local navigation projects, greater numbers and quantities than on boats with sails or but these did little good without a navigable river down- oars or poles. As steamboats evolved and as the region's stream. So they actively participated in local, regional and population and production grew, the river's limitations as a national campaigns for navigation improvement. In

FIGURE 1. Port of St. Paul, head of navigation, 1853. Steamboats at

the Upper and Lower Landings. Artist: Thompson Ritchie. American

Memory Project, Library of Congress.

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recorded 41 steamboat arrivals in 1844, and 95 in 1849. During the 1850s, traffic soared. By 1857, St. Paul had become a bustling port, with over 1,000 steamboat arrivals each year by some 62 to 99 boats.2

Table 5.1 Number of steamboat arrivals at St. Paul, 1844-1862.

1844 ...... 41 1854...... 256 1845 ...... 48 1855...... 560 1846 ...... 24 1856...... 837 1847 ...... 47 1857. . . . 1,026 1848 ...... 63 1858. . . . 1,090 1849 ...... 95 1859...... 802 ESOURCES STUDY • 300 YEARS IN THETHE IN LIFE OF MISSISSIPPIYEARS RIVER • 300 ESOURCES STUDY

R 1850 . . . . . 104 1860...... 776

IC 1851 . . . . . 119 1861...... 772 OR 1852 . . . . . 171 1862...... 846 ST

HI FIGURE 2. To the residents of the growing metropolitan area, the 1853 . . . . . 200 Mississippi promised unlimited wealth if they could harness its power (Sources: Frank Haigh Dixon, A Traffic History of the and make it navigable. The early dams, however, served only one purpose. ,Washington: Government Printing Office: 1909, p. 20; Mildred Hartsough, From navigation route would become unacceptable and Canoe to Steel Barge,Minneapolis: University of Midwesterners would repeatedly call for its improvement as Press, 1934, p. 100.) a commercial artery. Steamboat traffic grew quickly after 1823. Between As rapidly as the number of steamboats increased, they 1823 and 1847, most boats carried lead and worked could not keep pace with demand. In 1854 the Minnesota around Galena, . Few boats plied the river above Pioneer,a St. Paul newspaper, reported that passengers and Galena. After 1847, as miners depleted the lead supply, the freight overflowed from every steamboat that arrived and 1 trade quickly declined. Despite the fall of lead shipping, that “the present tonnage on the river is by no means suffi- steamboat traffic on the upper Mississippi boomed. One cient to handle one-half the business of the trade.”3 While measure of this was the number of times steamboats docked two steamboats often left St. Paul each day, they could not at the upper river's port cities. Some steamboats might land carry goods away as quickly as merchants and farmers only once, while others returned many times. St. Paul deposited it, and many upper river cities mirrored St. Paul.4 Each steamboat that docked created new business and a greater backlog, as more immigrants disembarked to estab- lish farms and businesses.5 Spurred by Indian land cessions that opened much of the Midwest between 1820 and 1860, by 's statehood

76 Chapter 4 • TRANSFORMING THE RIVER I ep poorly placed cargo or an or cargo placed ep poorly the Quincy, Minnesota lying on the bottom. 10 assenger traffic became so important to the to important so traffic became assenger P 9 illed and enshrouded it. Where steamboat pilots steamboat Where it. enshrouded and illed f . Those that swayed back and forth with the cur- with the forth and back swayed that Those .

ees Natural River r they labeled preachers. Planters were those that were Planters preachers. labeled r they the water to become snags. Snags skewered the careless the skewered Snags snags. become to water the me lodged in the river's bottom, in river's the me lodged hid sleepers and Tr

te neath the water's surface. Snags could, Snags surface. water's the neath in an instant, ca to nt they called sawyers. Those that bowed in and out of the in out and bowed that Those sawyers. called nt they r. FIGURE 3. Wreck of of FIGURE 3. Wreck Historical Society. Historical steamboat trade that by 1850 passenger receipts exceeded receipts 1850 passenger by that trade steamboat receipts. freight 1,711,951. The 1866,Before of steamboats, during heyday the upper the charac- most of its natural still possessed Mississippi River te frequent such were Snags steamboat. cautious the even and them named pilots steamboat that hazards treacherous and 3) (Figure re wa be be followed the deepest channel, deepest the the or one shore as it hugged followed other, leaning might trees swe fell Many trees deck. a steamboat's from passenger unwary in 8 More than one million than More 7 Historian Roald Tweet contends Tweet Roald Historian 6 from Europe,from and famine fleeing in Ireland e ballooned between 1850 and 1860. 1850 and between e Missouri ballooned y of the Great Lakes, Great y of the Iowa, entering settlers many 1846 and 's in 1848 and by the creation of creation the in by 1848 and Wisconsin's 1846 and ov

assengers arrived at or left from St. Louis in St. Louis 1855 alone. from left at or arrived assengers 77 Minnesota's population jumped from 6,077 to 172,023, 6,077 to from jumped population Minnesota's 674,913, 192,000 to from Iowa's from Wisconsin's Illinois'and 775,881 851,470 to 305,391 to from As a result, states river upper four of the population the ab Minnesota and western Wisconsin made part of their jour- part of their made Wisconsin western and . upper on the ney in in 1849,Territory Minnesota trafficthe on the passenger East; the from came Many passengers boomed. river upper others came by some arrived While continent. on the unrest political wa that, at St. Louis of immigrants boats number boarding “The 1849 gold the dwarfed St. Paul to upriver traveling and California Oregon.” and rush to p 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:03 AM Page 77 Page AM 8:03 8/5/03 557016_Book_r 557016_Book_r 8/5/038:03AMPage78

RIVER OF HISTORY: A Historic Resources Study of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area c ch i ple once waded across istrue. the Mississippi Mexico and the world. P the river's overall navigability. couldA bad bar sever St. stranded even the lightest steamboats. determined Sandbars de le many islands were temporary. varied as withthe season and the year, ofcourse, islands, ro bateau hisskiff. and Longonly16in how few strokes they needed. Pike took 40strokes his in they rowedthe river became itswidth above to see Hastings, Stephen Longboth not onlycommented onhow confined be or impale asteamboat or tear itapart. ri i c hav the river sometimes became soshallow that boats would to v w mi nel. Deep was over anything three feet. shallow could sandbars be scattered across chan- the main tojump the other. Oraseries ofdeeper pools separated by pools runnear onebankfor might ashort reach and then nocontinuous low channelDuring water, existed. Deep stage steamboat pilots and Corps engineers called low water. gtentrlrvr Br nNls ihgn onthe St. Michigan, ng the natural river. Niles, Born in nnumerable side channels and backwaters. the Bydividing urrents. ut away, divided the natural river, dispersing itswaters dispersing ut away, divided into the natural river, aried fr u’ n atns oncinwt t oi,the Gulfof connection withSt.Louis, aul’s and Hastings’ ve as 16inches. From the St.Croix River to the Illinois it m. They divided the into upper aseries Mississippi of

ughly 40islandsughly broke the river’s flow. The number of

ca ep pools separated by wide shallows that sometimes annel and thereby itsdepth. Islands created dangerous h t ri ie,the controlling depth atlowthe St.Croix water River, ea nimum depth for navigation atlow water. From St.Paul e to stop within sight ofthee to city. stop sight within r, me surprisingly narrowme surprisingly places. in and l al the river and began would falling enter the rly fall, George Byron Merrick captures well the perils ofsail- Sandbars posedSandbars the mostpersistent and frequent prob- Hundreds of islands, some forming and others someforming being Hundreds ofislands, Sandbars determinedSandbars the river's controlling depth–the islands limited the water available to the navigation om 18to 24inches. 13 Fr om justbelow to St. Hastings Anthony Falls 14 Normally, during the late during summer Normally, 15 A few miles below St.Paul, 11 16 12 The na The The The folklore that peo- tur al river i Subsequently he turned to newspaper editing and publish- to he settled New in After he returned the war, York. In1876, he left the river the Civil in toWar. fight 1862, But in next years nine he worked hisway upto become acub pilot. and boy en sharing the atticwithhisbrother.sharing le and groceries to the steamboats thatstores” stopped atthe storage father bought awarehouse onthe levee from which he ran a June in arriving 1854.Merrick's 30 miles below St.Paul, some they took Wisconsin, asteamboat upriver to Prescott, ly leftThere Illinois. Michigan and traveled to Rock Island, in and Pig'sEye–received Grey special Cloud, note at Prescott, first. Three ofthose nightmares–the sandbars “nightmares” na Lake Michigan. be J be ..dodging reefs the and hunting crossings, multitudinous ofaboat underdling the usual conditions–in the making learned “The han- in quality artistic he added, And pilots, re fleeing fromfamily the Dakota Minnesota, in Conflict hunted. ve the levee. “we grew Merrick“And into the recalled, thus,” co wha and woodpile, house, stump, tree, rock, hill, “every bluff, river were T sp ie,Merrick watchedoseph River, steamboats go back and forth ng. rav ve co Wisconsin to become–fittingly–a railway agent.

ry life ofthe riverry life aswe grew years.” in uld see and hear every steamboat that stopped ator passed we ot ed nin,and the town ofSt.Joseph on Indiana, tween South Bend, st water.” ou ua ie. ios erc eone,had to studythe Merrick recounted, tural river. Pilots, Merrick’s history. The dangers ofnavigating the natural 20 . h aiylvdi h pe w tre,Georgee. The lived family the upper in two stories, unts the effect could bars have onasteamboat's hull. te el gh From From n16,Nta ay the sonofaMinnesota pioneer Nathan Daly, In 1862, ve i gdw h issip oIlni,Daly'sfamily ng down to the Illinois, Mississippi

,M and transshipping business. business. and transshipping r else isto be noted along the banksof the river.” after oneseason became acub engineer. Over the er oget esi,that pilots had to memorize he said, so great, i xeine,Merrick learned muchhis experiences, about the 22 ri Po ck 17

or be Wh

hunters often fell prey to the river they gan working onasteamboat asacabin en

erc a 2yasod hisfami- Merrick was 12years old, 18

Fr He alsosold “boat- om there the boys 19 When old When 21 78 Chapter 4 • TRANSFORMING THE RIVER I . With . (Figure 4) (Figure On July 31,On July 1866,A. Humphreys, A. the 28 n in 1864, drought occurred. a severe when Major General Gouverneur K. Warren. First head of St. Paul head of First Warren. K. Gouverneur General Major create a 4-foot channel and deal with the Rock with the deal and channel a 4-foot create

. . .” words, In other to Corps the asked Congress nomizing the water of the stream, of the nomizing water the of insuring pas- the

To r. rmine how to establish a continuous, a establish to rmine how for channel 4-foot rren's arrival in St. Paul in August, in in St. Paul arrival rren's established Corps the te te FIGURE 4. District, Engineers. of Engineers. of Corps Corps Wa Chief of Engineers, ordered Brevet Major General and Major and Chief of Engineers, General Major Brevet ordered begin the to St. Paul to Warren K. of Engineers Gouverneur Mississippi upper River on the work Corps' Island Rapids,Island means, feasible the ascertain to “with a view by eco sage, seasons, all navigable at of feet four drawing of boats wa de on the based was water Low water. at low river upper the elevatio river’s channel,By a 4-foot 4 at least a channel meant Congress 9- did as it in 1864. (The as low fell river if the deep feet same on the benchmark.) is based today channel foot Rapids, Moines Des and Island its first established Corps the Mississippi upper River: on the offices and at St. Paul one Rock to moved be one at Keokuk, would latter (the Iowa in 1869). Island 26 24 hus, the become had St. Paul T 25 It directed the Corps to survey the survey to Corps the It directed 27 ne of the largest steamers on the upper on the steamers largest ne of the ,o t pilots the natural river was too perilous, too was river natural the and t pilots Some boats ground to a halt on sandbars. To get To on sandbars. a halt to ground Some boats of her bottom on the gravel bar over which she was she which bar over gravel on the bottom of her 23 for a night a few miles below St. Paul. Here, St. Paul. below miles a nightfor a few the e 1866 act provided for the first project to focus on focus to first the project for e 1866 act provided

th a few exceptions,th a few President the and/or Congress assed them just after sundown. The young Daly young The sundown. just after them assed ole upper river. nt position on internal improvements. Prior to the Prior to improvements. nt position on internal p e ed of navigation. Th On June 23,On June 1866, first the postwar passed Congress Rocks and rapids were a greater problem for steamboats for problem a greater were rapids and Rocks

opposed a federal role in internal improvements. in internal role a federal opposed r,

er ion's destiny. That destiny, believed,That they become to was ion's destiny. alled in his memoir that he could “distinctly hear the “distinctly hear could he in that his memoir alled ll as the nation's breadbasket. Before the Civil War, Civil the Before breadbasket. nation's ll as the rrow gorge and limestone boulders left by the retreat of retreat the by left boulders limestone and gorge rrow at; is, that its hull. breaking or warping ad ff c ve al improvements and the beginning of dramatic changes to beginning the of dramatic and changes al improvements assing.” rinding rinding alls to downtown St. Paul, downtown alls to miles, some 15 river river the amp 79 off, spars, used sometimes on which pilots poles wood long jacked alternately be would boats of the back and front the walk to In this way, hoped pilots forward. pushed up and “hogging” If lucky, avoided they bar. the the over boat their bo Mississippi River between St. Anthony Falls and the Rock the and Falls Anthony St. between Mississippi River the wh the he Channel,A Four-Foot 1866-1877 To steamboa might limit river an unreliable their feared Midwesterners reg East, as the as strong industrial and power a commercial as we upper the for minor improvements authorized Congress Hastings. above river the for but no work Mississippi River of inter- era a new act signaled This Act. Harbor and River n that agree generally Historians Mississippi upper River. the a very took government federal the end War's Civil with the di trying to ply the river above St. Paul. From St. Anthony St. From St. Paul. above river ply the trying to F slope, steep This 100 feet. with a than falls more combined na falls,the treacherous too this reach through river the made navigation. steamboat for c Light Northern ri p had war, wi re g 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:03 AM Page 79 Page AM 8:03 8/5/03 557016_Book_r 557016_Book_r 8/5/038:03AMPage80

RIVER OF HISTORY: A Historic Resources Study of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area rs,the channel quickly became deeper.crest, da each wave formedthe river that acted abar fell, asmall like when start atthe even head ofthe reach and moving begin down, t r understood how itworked. Corps would have to survey the river each year untilthey River's navigation channel frequently changed and that the Wa Island to Rapids himself. Minneapolis From thiswork, Wa ch RiverMississippi and he had to complete hissurvey. After ch federal dollars. de interests business and the general public. All farmers, as the river itself. Itcame atthe insistence ofthe states, the Corps' role the river in would become asdeep and broad wo a permanent stake how in the River upper Mississippi inch ve improvement onthe upper river. an important in part Warren's strategy for navigation ev the pilot isscarcely ofdeepest to able the line find water and indecisive which way to go and lost, asitwere, seems, Warrenobstructed. Inthese reaches, found that “the river ca ha downstreamforming this ofit. Without enough current, back side and ofthe another bar would bar eventually begin river wo confidence.” m looking snowdrifts. something like A wave wouldom, eported, sandbars moved sandbars waves in eported, along the channel bot- ei ls ucsin the river could become seriously close succession, me in aso h pe issip ie,at the scale of2 ofthe River, uppery maps Mississippi en addtefdrlpeec,themanded federal the federal expertise and presence, the ar Warren had to learnannel, more about the upper m. Behind the bar lay them. Behind bar adeep pool ofwater. Just past the ppened too slowly for navigation. When aseries ofbars uld bema rren contended itsnatural that in state the Mississippi rren began the survey upper Mississippi from the Rock gi es to the mi the to es

Before he could develop aplan for achieving the 4-foot ewe 86ad16,WarrenBetween completed 1866and 1869, 30sur- in the current slowed. Another wave soon followed. As ng men under himto undertake surveys, the tributary

daylig uld through cutting begin the steep slope onthe 31 naged andch ht, and is unable to proceed andisunable withany atnight ht, Th l e. Ten sheets formed acontinuous of map e smallpools behind the would bars play anged. From forward, thistime 29 nsm ece,WarrenIn somereaches, 30 omly the Normally, observation.” co waterof the actionofrunning and the means oftemporarily been had usi who ly swept the away. dams Warren found Overall, that those water high these measures usual- had been onlytemporary; But the low-water channel worthy ofspecial attention.” b Warrensome bars. hadThese dams,” “slight commented, P safe and continuous 4-foot channel for the river between St. es or or es Croix River. The focused remaining maps onproblem reach- the river from St. Anthony Falls to the mouth ofthe St. the current too fastfor steamboat navigation. w the river aboveigation. St.PaulWithout alock and dam, project would allow to Minneapolis become the head ofnav- wh $235,665 to construct alock and atMeeker dam Island, he requested and business Minneapolis political interests, annual reporthis first to part 1867.Responding in butcame to hisown conclusions. sources, had unsuccessful. companies Rafting and steamboat interests had toDesiring the keep citizens flowing traffic past their city, of the cityand the other along the running Wisconsin side. front in onepassing theisland river split into two channels, steamboats an to travel Iowa, above St.Paul. At Guttenberg, in nity onthe river’s east bankthat merged withMinneapolis He learned that and Minneapolis St. Anthony (the commu- wha project. Warrenimprovements, began planningthe 4-foot channel and frommaps what he would learn about early navigation een u n h okIln ais Warrenaul and the asked Rock Island for $96,000 Rapids, stonro,tosalw too tooas too strewn shallow, narrow, withboulders and

toln t gained by their constant experience and it, ntrolling 1872) had c a ewe inaoi n t al I ul,this ich lay between and Minneapolis St.Paul. Ifbuilt,

em attempted to close the Wisconsin channel buthad been t work they had done to improve the river's navigability.

Wa Wa somewhat successful, “indicating away “indicating ofdeepeningsomewhat successful, det ployed to dams wing scour the channel attrouble- rren provided in estimates for avariety ofprojects, rren asked private companies and local interests ailed the river near aspecific town. 33

funded theremoval of Warren l Warren ng the river “evince ashrewd knowledge istened to these knowledgeable boulders to encourage 32 34 Fr To crea To om these te a te 80 Chapter 4 • TRANSFORMING THE RIVER I 40 . 38 accelerated (Figure 5) (Figure 41 the Civil War War the Civil Before the Civil War, Civil the only Before 39 following following hile the river had been hauling grain birth the since been had river the hile hile steamboat traffic had remained strong before the before strong remained traffic had steamboat hile ailroad bridges spanned the upper river river upper the spanned bridges ailroad throttling shipping on the river. throttling shipping river. on the W Railroad expansion expansion Railroad W ultural growth. Railroad trackage in the in United the trackage Railroad growth. ultural

r

s over the undeveloped waterways. Railroads moved Railroads waterways. undeveloped the s over c ansion across the Mississippi. Despite the growing men- growing the Mississippi. the ansion Despite across no navigable rivers. Compatibility between rail lines rail Compatibility between rivers. no navigable re ll. With each new rail connection, rail new made each With steamboats ll.

ri ive for navigation improvement at the same at the time they improvement navigation for ive p ain to railroads. Early railheads on the upper river's east river's upper on the Early railheads railroads. ain to sponding to market changes. Rail lines were generally Rail lines were changes. market sponding to anic of 1857 and the Civil War ended further railroad further ended War Civil the anic of 1857 and ommodities, and, inflame and yet, provoke would railroads age een ace of the railroads, of the ace strong. traffic remained river multiplied from 30,635 miles in 1860, miles 30,635 from multiplied in 52,914 to 1870, 92,296 in and 1880. quicker, freight their flexibility in giving greater users their re shorter, served direct, lands into more deep reach could and by ex and population unprecedented Midwest's of the pace the ag we agriculture, many advan- too of Midwestern held railroads t Quincy and Cairo, and Quincy Illinois, in 1856, railheads became and East St. Louis, Illinois, Prairie Chien, du and Wisconsin, in 1857. La Crosse, Wisconsin, cities, these joined becoming At in 1858. La Crosse and Milwaukee of the terminus the in 1856, Island Rock became Island Rock and Chicago the Mississippi. the economic But the cross to firstthe railroad p ability move to country’s the increased greatly Railroads c a shipping crisis. so, In doing the to contribute would they dr the Rock Island Railroad had bridged the upper Mississippi upper the bridged had Railroad Island Rock the 1869, and 1866 Between Illinois from Iowa. three to River Iowa, to river the 1877, crossed by and railroads more thir- t Civil War, steamboats had begun losing passengers and losing passengers begun had War,Civil steamboats gr traffic, steamboat as bank fostered its end initiated but they we or St. Louis to of going Instead ports. trips between shorter Orleans, at La New might unload St. Paul from a steamboat railheads, at other or Island Rock or Crosse increasingly, and local. became commerce most river Midwest’s need to receive and receive to need Midwest’s Mississippi River pilots had learned had pilots Mississippi River The 36 35 In 1867 the Corps initiated a program of a program initiated Corps In 1867 the where. 37 lse e al closing dam for the Wacouta chute near Red near chute Wacouta al closing the dam for d rren decided to deepen the upper Mississippi upper by the deepen to decided rren e 4-foot project did not greatly alter the river's phys- river's the alter greatly did not project e 4-foot an

ng. It was a method that had proven successful in successful proven had that a method ng. It was ng sandbars, snagging, and trees overhanging clearing men, difficulties, the and uncertainty, expense and Wa Th nstruct an experimental closing dam at Prescott Island, closing dam at Prescott an experimental nstruct ce gi rmined to recommend the employment of these dredg- of these employment the recommend to rmined ut 26 miles below St. Paul, below ut 26 miles another $5,000 for and ich attend the use of dams,” Warren concluded, use of dams,” the attend “I have ich Warren ng, Minnesota. co acquire and operate two dredge and snag boats, snag and dredge two operate and acquire $5,000 te periment ed an

moving sunken vessels to create the 4-foot channel. 4-foot the create to vessels sunken moving ached the Mississippi the River:ached Island Rock and Chicago the bo ommercial thoroughfare. ommercial an the dredges,an the on a bar limit cut of the depth the it could ng machines.” 81 Wi ex to Demanding a Deeper Channel a Deeper Demanding • Monopolies Railroad a dr Fr to ical or ecological character and did not improve the river the improve did not and character ecological or ical navigation, for much of navigation a series but it initiated simply Corps have did not The both. do would that projects funding,the equipment, sig- make authority to or personnel Midwesterners, changes. however, permanent and nificant river, the it a make transform to to hoped if they needed c dredgi re i wh de that by running their paddle wheels over the crest of a bar, crest the over wheels running paddle their by that it, through cut river the from helped they flow the allowing pass. to boat the for just enough cut the deepen to pool the Corps as the As long dredging. As a result, favored Warren r of “In view it. behind pool deeper of the much preserve and minds upon the of taken has method this which hold the river Railroad at Rock Island, at Rock Railroad Illinois,Alton and Chicago the and Alton,at Galena. entered Illinois. In 1855 a railroad send out goods grew as rapidly as its population and agricul- and as its population as rapidly grew goods out send Railroads, production. tural river, the than more would need, region’s the meet a price, without but not a price railroads first high some. In 1854 the two for too much re 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:03 AM Page 81 Page AM 8:03 8/5/03 557016_Book_r 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:03 AM Page 82 A Historic Resources Study of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and Recreation River National the Mississippi Study of Resources A Historic RIVER OF HISTORY:

FIGURE 5. Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Bridge, Hastings, Minn., 1885. By Henry P. Bosse. Rock Island District, Corps of Engineers

made transshipment unnecessary. Trains ran when the river The Granger Movement • As railroads spread throughout was high or low; they ran when the cold of winter froze it; the upper Mississippi River valley and the Midwest, they for the most part, they ran throughout the year.42 Those began monopolizing the shipping of bulk commodities, railroads that ran east to west–most importantly to especially grain. With river traffic failing and railroads Chicago–took advantage of complementary markets. monopolizing the region’s transportation, many farmers Midwestern farmers sent grain to Chicago, and Chicago mer- and business interests believed they were facing a shipping chants and eastern manufacturers sent their goods back on crisis. In response, farmers in the Midwest and throughout the railroads. While railroads could send many cars in both the nation joined the first national farm movement, called directions with full cargoes, barges delivering their com- the Grange or Patrons of Husbandry. Grangers sought to modities at St. Louis or New Orleans or points in between control railroad rates through state and federal regulation too often returned empty.43 and through improved navigation on the nation's rivers. Formed in 1868 by Oliver Hudson Kelley, a Minnesota farmer who had moved to Washington, D.C., to work as a clerk in the Department of Agriculture, the Grange had established nearly 1,400 chapters in 25 states by 1873 (Figure 6).44 The number of chapters multiplied to more than 10,000 by the end of the year. Over the next year, the

82 Chapter 4 • TRANSFORMING THE RIVER I St. Paul Minnesota r traffic, that insisted Kelley To restore rive ticles condemning railroads and the Chicago the and railroads condemning ticles 47 ar uly edition, its reso- to preamble convention's the J eived huge land grants, land huge eived not. had steamboats he Mississippi River traverses for thousands of miles thousands for traverses River he Mississippi c bstructions, device, of human or natural whether are As with the drive for railroad legislation, railroad for drive As with the push for the T of the earth, regions agricultural the noblest running to South, North from the most . . . it is destined to become region of the world,popular forever should its waters and use of to the open untrammelled and be kept and free length, citizen withinevery the entire navigable all and o who till of the people impedimentslike to the prosperity valley. the soil of the great 1870,August In steamboat by Minnesota left Kelley rway improvement was not just a farmers' movement. not was improvement rway alling on Congress to appropriate funding “for every “for fundingalling appropriate to on Congress rfage and people consider it all right.” consider people and rfage railroads While re

te vigable stream in the West” and to “open the natural out- natural West” the in the “open vigable stream to and y saw the river as an essential route to domestic and for- and domestic to route as an essential river the y saw all.” to ts free al outlets for the west and northwest,” Kelley insisted, northwest,” and Kelley west the for “but al outlets the Mississippi needed grants like those given to railroads, to grants like those given Mississippithe needed buy in to St. Louis an agent establish to had Grange the and products. Minnesota's sell and wa among Mississippi the River's were merchants St. Louis le for concern early Grange's the Demonstrating eign markets. Mississippi the River,improving conven- Grange state the in the Printed river. the featured tion of 1869 Monthly’s lutions declared: between arrangements trade direct secure to St. Louis for Missouri. During and his trip,Minnesota the fed he . . .” present. the for conclud- enough he got have “Railroads ed, c na le Pioneer Press Pioneer He improvement. waterway promoting and Trade of Board St. Paul between connection dying the river restore to hoped tributaries natu- are Mississippi her and “The St. Louis. and r improvement.” their to is given little attention how Railroads, town charged, he in every front river the “control river;on the paying without freight land can boats their wha had efer- ,r New York Tribune New York elley, founding member, Husbandry or of Patrons hile the Grange refused to form a political party a political form to refused Grange the hile As a result, says, he “the W 45 46 lley and Grangers in the upper Mississippi River val- Mississippi in upper River the Grangers and lley Solon J. Buck, J. Solon classic study of the the wrote who Ke nomenal increase in the membership of the order during order of the in membership the increase nomenal s did not. Farmers created third parties in states parties third created Farmers s did not. actively participate in the established parties, in established the participate actively its mem- e

ng to the Grange, declared that “‘within a few weeks it has Grange, the ng to weeks “‘within a few that declared 83 ri equilibrium political the most steadfast of the menaced states.’” Grange founded nearly 12,000 chapters and claimed over claimed and 12,000 chapters nearly founded Grange 858,000 members. Grange, that, nonpolitical, observed although avowedly “the ph interest, liveliest the some- and awakened 1874 1873 and apprehension,times the among politicians throughout Union.” or ber during mid-1870s, the country the throughout winning sig- order. established the threatening and elections nificant the Grange. Minnesota Historical Society. Historical Minnesota the Grange. FIGURE 6.K Oliver 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:04 AM Page 83 Page AM 8:04 8/5/03 557016_Book_r 557016_Book_r 8/5/038:04AMPage84

RIVER OF HISTORY: A Historic Resources Study of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area olize olize de be we RiverMississippi and Such itstributaries. improvements in d go Theconference and Virginia. organizers' Missouri, Kansas, from 22states Ohio, and the governors ofMinnesota, Convention. Itdrew national Senators and Representatives another convention St.Louis–the in Western Congressional T gr mined effort to tion before 1873. “The keynote ofthe meeting was adeter- to co na ro of western waterways sothat they be used might asreliable wo a House for adecade. While the Minnesota legislature di fi the Mississippi Riverthe Mississippi southeastern in Minnesota. Wind were party Republican ofparticular concern to Senator River with his Mississippi dissatisfaction and rising r tion problem and recommend solutions to it. The threat ofa Se nesses–MinnesotaSenator William Windomasked the pa ment and navigation conventions–partly out offear and Wi ira oooy the commercialailroad decline ofthe monopoly, pitdsmoees ofns otnstr,Windom ppointed someone else Norton's to finish term, pho h hpigcii. h ouin hyisse,lay they insisted, crisis. epth oftheThe shipping solution, he Windom Committee• rst became asenator when Daniel Republican S. Norton r ed ea utes for cheap transportation.”

neofnie I 87 hyhl,according to onehis- they held, unteroffensive. In1867, na al was to impress uponthese key the political officials

le rtly out of agenuine concern to help farmers and busi- nc mrvn h ainswtras especiallyimproving the the nation's waterways, re undertaken they by declared. the federal government, a,the mostimportant navigation improvement conven-ian, n the seat 1871. Hewould in become oneofthe Senate's nd ae rud would allow the Unitedgates States argued, to “monop- te

te vrtergo' rd,they saw the rivere over astheir best the region's trade,

in nMy17,cheap transportation advocatesIn May 1873, held be the markets ofthe world.” om to the seat. fill Windom had already served the in om st advocates. Reeling from Chicago's increasing domi-

to office in 1870and Minnesota's in office governor appointed yo

(Figure 7) es nd ta

the ability ofthe individual statesthe ability and had to blish acommitteeblish to

obtain federal money for the improvement Wno' oeon ioa lay on Winona, . Windom's hometown, Spurred by the Granger move- 49 48 ex Cheap transportation, amine th e transporta- 51 Windom 50 de advocating and state railroad controls, monopolies, Pe in improvement. strongest advocates for railroad regulation and navigation Wi dominance party's Republican the state in and nationally, As Anti-Monopoly parties threatened to undermine the Donnelly joined the movement 1872. in and crisis, the farm with the failure party's Republican to deal withmonopolies Granger movement's growing strength and itsdiscontent by Wi Wi Na 7. FIGURE

ople's Anti-Monopoly party, “with a platform striking at “withaplatformople's striking Anti-Monopoly party, nouncing postwar corruption. . .”

Minnesota and the threat ofrailroad monopolies spurred ndom. Photo by Brady. Minnesota Historical Society. gaisDnel,Grange supportersIgnatius had Donnelly, organized the nd nd Th om and other began Republicans working for railroad om to address the transportation issue withzeal. Led e rapidly growing strength ofthe Granger movement iainbotradMneoaSntr William boostervigation andMinnesota Senator, 52 53 Recognizing the 84 Chapter 4 • TRANSFORMING THE RIVER I In 1874, when . The island divid- island The . 61 -foot channel became the became channel -foot 2 / (Figure 8) (Figure 1 -foot channel project. The project. channel -foot 2 / 1 -foot channel project embody project channel -foot 2 / 1 -foot channel project, channel -foot Congress 2 / 1 not dredge due to high water, to due dredge not the -feet deep at low-water, for the entire river at low-water, entire the deep for -feet 2 / 1 could the wide shallows and sandbars thou- and the and shallows wide the ther,Grange, the merchants, and shippers boosters so by driving two tiers of piles nine feet apart and nine feet of piles tiers drivingso by two Engineers closed the upper end of the east channel. east of the end upper the Engineers closed

e Corps had experimented with channel constriction with channel experimented had e Corps ge r towns and the Windom committee persuaded committee Windom the and r towns he minate minate Th To ve e Four and One-Half Foot Channel, One-Half Foot and e Four cted the Corps to remake the upper Mississippi. The Mississippi. upper the remake to Corps the cted Montana ,t rks built under the 4 the rks built under the river, and the navigation channel sometimes ran on ran river,the sometimes channel navigation the and 1874. As it had learned more about the upper the about more learned it had As 1874. ri

eping the river navigable by dredging. by navigable eping river the tween St. Paul and the mouth of the at Illinois of the mouth the River and St. Paul tween tween 1878 and 1906, 1878 and tween 4 the

re rst system-wide, intensive navigation improvement project rst system-wide, improvement navigation intensive ally. wo the di a permanent, create to naviga- were Engineers continuous tion channel, 4 fi navigable the alter It would Mississippi upper River. the for dramati- corridor MNRRA the through river of the portion c in futility the of Mississippi River, recognized had Corps the ke in 4 the authorize to Congress Th 1878-1906 By authorizing 4 the be this, the do change to have To Alton. would they have would They environment. and Mississippi's landscape to eli sands of little pools that Warren had once sought to pre- sought to once had Warren that of littlesands pools sand which by pattern the alter to have would They serve. to have would They bottom. river the along siltand moved block and one main into channel current river's the focus work of Corps focus The channels. side off myriad the be these national movements and local efforts. local and movements national these Engineers refitted it with a pile driver and went to Pig's Eye to went and driver it with a pile Engineers refitted Island, St. Paul below miles five ed island, the Below west. on the sometimes and side east the prob- eliminate the To water. at low existed channel no deep lem They did placing brush and with willow them fillingthen between 54 57 his party. In his party. 60 No general plan had No general feet for the upper the for feet

On March 26,On March 1873, 55 to 6 2 authorize an intense programauthorize an intense / 1 e committee suggested that the that suggested e committee Th create a channel of these depths, of these a channel create the

58 To and that it had been sporadic. had been 59 perations 56 ievous to be long endured.’” long be to ievous with wing closing dams and dams. Relying on the reports the Corps of Engineers submit- Corps the reports on the Relying On April 24,On 1874, submitted committee Windom’s As chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Committee Select Senate of the As chairman good position to help both farmers and vigable tributaries.” ntrol of the government, of the ntrol solu- certain and obvious as the ansportation to the Seaboard, the in to an especial- ansportation was Windom tions,” concluded, committee the “point the unerringly to sponding to Windom, sponding to transportation the and Grange the tion of our country for cheap and ample water communi- ample and water cheap for country tion of our d, the committee noted that improvements on the d, improvements that noted committee the nt transportation facilities between the interior and the and interior the facilities between nt transportation ommittee acknowledged, would require constricting the acknowledged, require ommittee would eform and began seeking ways to solve the farm the crisis. solve to ways seeking began and eform 85 Mississippi River. te Mississippi River improvement of our great natural water-ways, natural con- great their of our and improvement under canals, by portages nection freight-railway short by or co transportation.” of cheap problem tion of the its report to the Senate. After reviewing various proposals, various reviewing After Senate. the to its report some regulate Congress that recommended committee the o railroad adap- physical “remarkable The improvements. of waterway ta ca or implemented. committeeThe developed been recom- esti- cost get and surveys authorize Congress that mended a mature to “in as possible order as early prepared mates river, of the of all its improvement and radical the for plan na r Tr ly December 1872, address to December a resolution introduced had he the before inAnd a speech problem. transportation the fact’‘an admitted Senate, “it was that asserted pres- he that e inadequate.’‘totally were seaboard transportation These ‘powerful by networks,” charged, he controlled “were The people. the to terms own their dictate who monopolies are producer and consumer impose upon both they burdens too gr c river re study the to committee crisis,Windom’s directed Senate the problem. Corps establish a channel of 4 of a channel establish Corps 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:04 AM Page 85 Page AM 8:04 8/5/03 557016_Book_r 557016_Book_r 8/5/038:04AMPage86

RIVER OF HISTORY: A Historic Resources Study of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area comprehensiv ex da sacks ofsand ontop to weigh the brushdown. Overall the FIGURE 8. FIGURE per m was 600feet long andto six ten feet deep. mna a,channel constriction would grow into a imental dam, Pigs Eye Island beforePigs Eye closing andafter Corps construction. dam of Engineers. e and expansive project that would reconfig- 62 Fr om this we and ofthe creosoted withwhich twine the bundles marline co Fr le became the both from Fountain Wisconsin, City, Richtman, along withJacob Albert Kirchner, ment. Her father, with her father's fleet asthey built the for dams the govern- ad mtebidn ot let icnrrcle,“..I Alberta Kirchner recalled, om the boat, building uld even smell the blended delightfully odor ofthe willows re i

ng contractors for construction. dam the wing Corps in Alberta Kirchner Hillspent 19summers (1898-1917) h eld

to ge ther. Itcame to mestrongly every timethe up the length ofthe na one uninterrupted Corps hoped to scour ch increasing river By narrowing the experiments.striction upon the channel con- Corps had to expand the foot channel, co req and shore protection da would would face to alevel that above ers ro co The and rock.saplings landscape and ecology. and landscape ure the upper river's ch mi To ac To ck ntractors placed the mp annel's the velocity, ms, closing dams closing ms, vigation channel annel per river.per nimum 4 uired tw until adam rose Engineers or their

and brush in lay-and brushin and t nns willow onents: the water sur- guarantee a hieve the (Figure 9) hereby the main o si 63 1 / 2 Wing -foot mple 1 / 2 . 64 - 86 Chapter 4 • TRANSFORMING THE RIVER I ct shores . To prote 67 (Figure 10) (Figure one year due to a wing a dam to due one year hile the river naturally eroded its banks, eroded naturally river the hile closing annels and sloughs. As the experiments with closing experiments As the sloughs. and annels W r down the channel to scour it. Droughts had the same the had it. Droughts scour to channel the r down ch

cted water into the main channel, the into water the to cted flow denying r's side channels and backwaters backwaters and channels r's side te ms had shown,ms had greatly channels side off cutting the annel's velocity and volume. Wing dams especially Wing volume. and velocity annel's creased the main channel's flow. The river passed over the over passed river The flow. main the channel's creased re de ve ividing the river disbursed the little water available into available little the water disbursed ividing river the aused bank erosion by forcing the river away from one from away river forcing the by bank erosion aused da in high,closing dams when year, the most of but for dams the di ri dams and wing dams erosion accelerated increasing by the ch c Point,At Dibble’s other. against the shoreline and the shore 15had to 20 eroded in feet Island,built at Prescott Prescott. near moving stream,moving enough direct not wing the damscould wa many islands effect,The season. an entire last but could d si from naturally eroding or from being undercut by the con- the by being undercut from or eroding naturally from 66 ion. Photo by Henry P. Bosse. St. Paul District, St. Paul Bosse. Engineers. of Henry P. Corps by ion. Photo Once the willow mats had been mats had willow the Once 65 ire rage. . . as the mat went down went mat . . as the rage. ire FIGURE 9. Wing dam construct FIGURE 9.dam Wing e wing dams' success depended upon the main upon the chan- depended e wing dams' success her, like a rapid-f the water, the workers would sink with rock. them would water,the workers the

Th in nsity as the mat sank lower and lower in water.” the lower and nsity mat sank lower as the

stroyed as the men began the routine of sinking routine mat. . . the the began men as the stroyed te id under the load . . . a splashing began. The sound grew in grew sound The . . . a splashing began. load the under in men hoisted a swishing bundle of brush to their gunny-sack- their of brush to a swishing bundle hoisted men . . .” shoulders. protected nel's volume and velocity. During the late summer or early or summer During late the velocity. and volume nel's fall, a shallow, Mississippi the became slow- usually when la dam,” the up to pulled been a barge of rocks had “No sooner was Hill remembered, load of the symmetry the “than de hitting big rocks the hear could you quarterboats the . From each ot 87 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:04 AM Page 87 Page AM 8:04 8/5/03 557016_Book_r 557016_Book_r 8/5/038:04AMPage88

RIVER OF HISTORY: A Historic Resources Study of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area rib shoreline withbrushmatsand rock. the Corps protectedstricted hundreds channel, ofmiles of 340 wing and closing dams from dams and closing 340 wing the Minnesota River to the Engineershad builtabout Minnesota River. By1905, struction began atPike Island atthe mouth ofthe hundreds ofmiles ofriprap. Wing con- dam and closing be A 1903-1905Corps navigation shows map the river d with wing dams and closing dams and dams and dams with lined closing d withwing IUE1.Ch 10. FIGURE ne osrcina ieBn,Mneoa 1891.Photo by Corps P. Henry of Engineers. Bosse. Minnesota, St.Paul District, at Bend, annel constriction Pine shoreline asneeded to establish a4 da one area time. atthe same They would build asmanywing Th the southern end ofthe MNRRA corridor below Hastings. tion. The density ofchannel constriction works and the and dams shore closing protec- and add more dams, wing themselves. Where the Engineers would necessary, return na or co they would move to the next troublesome reach. Innewly

srce ece,the channel be might nstricted reaches, s ls smn iecanl,and protect asmuch close asmanyside channels, ms, tural tendencies or asaresult ofthe improvement works w n hnbcm ifcl gi,due to the river's two and then become again, difficult ey

Th had e Engineers did not did e Engineers build allthe works depicted in

closed nearly allthe side channels. 1 / 2 -foot channel. Then, good for a season a for good 88 Chapter 4 • TRANSFORMING THE RIVER I 70 Recognizing that the river's chal- river's the that Recognizing 69 me a state, a sent legislature new the $200 to journey from St. Paul to the cataract. the to St. Paul from journey $200 to ofiting from the release of water from the from of water release ofiting the from hile Minneapolis navigation boosters focused on focused boosters Minneapolis navigation hile also raised funds during the 1850s to remove boul- remove during funds 1850s to the also raised As early as 1850,As early civic lead- Minneapolis business and W

e Meeker Island Lock and Dam and Lock Island e Meeker rks on the upper Mississippi River only benefitted its benefitted only Mississippi upper River rks on the part rebuilt. completed the and redesigned be to have uld e project would permanently reshape the river between river the reshape permanently would e project ey osters began discussing a lock and dam for the river above river the dam for and discussing a lock began osters rs and other obstacles. other rs and tition to Congress requesting that the federal government federal the that requesting Congress tition to tween the falls and St. Paul. Bradley B. Meeker and Meeker B. Bradley St. Paul. falls and the tween om Minneapolis' perspective,om Minneapolis' improvement channel the s in Minneapolis, Minnesota, of State the by supported ach the falls. To prove their point, their prove steamer the To paid falls. they the ach nges required more than these futile measures, futile these than more required navigation nges le bo years, five next the Over as 1852. as early St. Paul the city's newspapers,Territorial the and civic leaders booming the carry dams to and locks for called Legislature Minneapolis. In 1855, to trade steamboat Anthony St. the dams. In 1858, and locks building two proposed Express Minnesotawhen beca pe St. Paul. above navigation for river the improve Th Fr wo about did something Congress Paul–until principal rival–St. Anthony St. at Millers Anthony Falls. St. below rapids the were pr Reservoirs, commer- civic and but Minneapolis Headwaters to yearned milling. than They more wanted cial boosters So, of navigation. head city the their make lead- commercial er in improvements navigation for support sought federal in most mysterious one of the effort resulted Their 1866. be One dam would river. upper on the projects ill-fated and another and of its completion up within 5 years blown wo Th It is Falls. Anthony Dam) St. and Dam Ford and 1 (the Lock significance. national and with local a story ers had tried to convince shippers that steamboats could re Lamartine Th de shipping, others recognized the river's hydropower potential shipping, hydropower river's the recognized others be Mississippi the River Dorilus Morrison formed Manufacturing and Company in 1857,Improvement with a 68 ich they physically and ecologically changed ecologically and physically they ich l in the Twin Cities by 12 to 18 inches, 12 to by Cities Twin helping l in the wh

his 1869 report. In his next report, In his next had his 1869 report. Warren

to ance. In 1880,ance. an however, it finally authorized

in

imental dam for Lake Winnibigoshish and authorized and Winnibigoshish Lake dam for imental Millers at St. Anthony Falls especially pushed for reser- for pushed especially Anthony Falls at St. Millers pork-barrel project’s at the initially balked Congress r from the reservoirs had little effect. had reservoirs the r from r from the reservoirs for navigation in the later summer in later the navigation for reservoirs the r from ar r s downstream, at Hastings, a rise of about recorded they ee es te te le e desire to improve navigation on the upper river affected river upper on the navigation improve to e desire vigation interests and the millers. Twenty-seven river Twenty-seven millers. the and vigation interests ats, even half a foot was important. Below Red Wing, Red ats, Below important. was a foot half even pe gr pe y of the upper Mississippi River's headwaters and tribu- and headwaters Mississippi River's upper y of the oirs above the falls. William Washburn went so far as to went Washburn William falls. the oirs above urning longer and more consistently. more and urning longer ari the remaining dams shortly afterwards. The Headwaters The afterwards. dams shortly remaining the Winnibigoshish of the construction for provided project of dams at Leech Dam completion in the 1883-1884 and (1884),Lake (1884), Falls Pokegama (1886), Pine River (1895), Lake Sandy 1895 (1912). In their Gull Lake and Report,Annual water releasing that Engineers reported the the raised successfully had reservoirs Headwaters the from water leve na mi wa one foot and at Red Wing about one-half foot. To steam- To foot. one-half about Wing at Red and one foot bo suggested a system of 41 reservoirs for the St. Croix, the for of 41 reservoirs a system suggested Chippewa, basins. Mississippi and River Wisconsin six. to this number reduced engineers Subsequent v in of anticipation sites reservoir at one of the land purchase to land the gave later and there project federal or a private of release the that recognized millers The government. the wa mills their keep to of water flow the increase fall would and t ap ex the river increased gradually over the project's history. project's the over gradually increased river the Dams at Headwaters the Th increase Cities, further Twin To the above as well. river the navigation, for available the water the authorized Congress of the six headwaters dams at the construct to Corps Mississippi, Minnesota, in northern 1880 and between a sur- fund Congress that recommended had Warren 1907. ve t de 89 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:04 AM Page 89 Page AM 8:04 8/5/03 557016_Book_r 557016_Book_r 8/5/038:04AMPage90

RIVER OF HISTORY: A Historic Resources Study of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area dent steamboats to and Minneapolis that hydropower was “inci- claimed that the petition’s purposewas principal to bring the state from theopposition millers atSt. Anthony, be ed co P Congress to authorize navigation improvements above St. petitioned 1866, in the Minnesota Legislature, tion, gr gr pe wh Meeker's project would extend navigation above St.Paul, Mee war, aSt. Anthony Falls sa Morrison, themselves. cities to aid navigation and to secure the hydropower for er tial. Playing onthe desire navigation ofMinneapolis boost- St. Anthony.” re m charter required it to to it required charter ab in the island lay somethreeGone now, miles below the falls, Legislature to build their lock and near dam Meeker Island. and obtained from permission the Minnesota Territorial poning the projectponing and the intercity conflict. post- Improvement plans, Company's and Manufacturing of 1857and the Civil War stalled River the Mississippi na wo asit St.Paul citizens criticized the project, Minneapolis, aul and requested the land onbehalf grant ofMeeker's sult incidentally from our to effort get Boats to the Falls of ,they proposed alock building and between dam s, the two le' fa, esi,“"isanother waterpoweriller's he said, “fear,” that might o ant to fund their project 1865.Focusing in onnaviga-

mp iin the state stressed that boats had frequently landedtition, ,b

ov iain A ihs aypoet,the Economic Panic vigation. As withsomanyprojects, Minneapolis. PortendingMinneapolis. the with conflict coming li uld steal from them their valuable asthe head position of ich was reason their primary for it.Inits supporting po inaoi uiese,to develop thispoten- businessmen, up ofMinneapolis mi al.” ec n ntefls and because the company's state e and onthe falls” Minneapolis navigationMinneapolis boosters clearly saw that Holding to their dream through the depression and the a territorial judge and and local entrepreneur, Meeker, any. the state contend-The company needed the grant, ause the company's income from water power would te 74 d by the “inexhaustible resources thisrespect in ker and and ker ekr isl,emphasized navigation. The himself, Meeker, 71 75 Morrison beseechedMorrison Congress for aland lock boats through free. through lock boats wmill o wmill eao,l perator, 72 73 Anticipating obbied for o Congress to “recollect withwhat haste the vari- and facility we and the freights rival among carriers ofthe commerce ofthe re and be ri The non-intercourse measures the Lower in Mississippi.” c the someinstances and in and triple quadruple, and double, ro importance to ofMinneapolis the region's economy. ev F such acontinuous means ofsupplyand exchange from the necessities having given in ofunborn millions usexactly be “isboth natural and the and all- necessary, they pleaded, d pa ed provid- Southwest. the state insisted, The River, Mississippi to u and molasses. Whatever sugar, prod- rice, South's cotton, be Th re proper terminus.” would extendstate contended, navigation “to itsnatural and ri v (Minneapolis and St. Anthony) and the tined to these cities, to St.P some sixteen miles, receded “had claimed, theybrashly navigation, Civil War, number a ofunprecedented that year, ning and droughts the asaresult ofthe economic panic begin- up until1857.But, twowithin and one-half miles ofdowntown Minneapolis, ost oftransporting the produce ofthe west the late during ast regions north and west .mustbreak bulkand be car- lso t nhn oteGl fMxc. The petition alls ofSt. Anthony to the GulfofMexico.” us railroad combined lines to increase the cost oftravel, ivine purposeoftheir project.ivine “Direct communication,” cts the Midwest came to manufacture, like woolen like cts the Midwest and cot- came to manufacture, ve ed us,the state touted the project’squest, interregional benefits. arc,would their chief find market the South in and n fabrics, ad en neficent Creator has anticipated graciously the wants and was the South. And the Midwest itclaimed, needed the ef,

rts downstream, Minneapolis boosters Minneapolis pointed to the rts downstream, etmre o h iws' on lu,pr,and pork, flour, e best market for the Midwest's corn, t”Rfrigt h ii a,the to state Referring the Civil imploredWar, st.” the Echoing natural the beliefs oftheir link. counter- r would the bind country together again.

,the state asserted that the river “is now ands, ever will in

Fi Acknowledging the obvious local appearance ofits cited editorials from the St.Paul papers stressing the

n wa ly and recognizingally, power the emerging ofrail- main the greatmain regulator and moderator offares go st hi etnto. okaddm the lock A and dam, ns to their destination.” 76 u,wher aul, e allthefreight des- 77 90 Chapter 4 • TRANSFORMING THE RIVER I But danger of 85 ract was in ract was ta not want a dam obstructing not want 84 83 the falls, the ca

perators did ily ended debate over the project, the over debate it refused when ily ended perations at d the land grant. land d the ating into a series of rapids. Sawmill owners also owners Sawmill of rapids. ating a series into nitiated a survey of the river and of the dam site. of the and river of the a survey nitiated ar i

ne approached, $26,000 during spent company the d the company to selling no more than one section of one section than selling to no more company d the or en so, the state threatened to rescind the grant issue the and rescind so, to threatened state the or

In 1873, Mississippi the with patience lost Congress Millers feared a competing water power so close to St. to so close power water a competing feared Millers within a township. As this requirement had proven had As this requirement within a township. li rnment. During 1873 session,rnment. its 1872 to Congress

uhar, District commander, that St. Paul new the reported 1870 and early 1871. It did not begin building the not 1871. It did early 1870 and te ri

secure their objective, their from support secure needed company the had do am

te ad ve rq

illing o mp nd te mi rgued that it was the federal government's responsibility to government's federal the it was that rgued umbersome, it to modify to Congress asked company the it to another company. Having accomplished nothing the as Having accomplished company. another it to de la Manufacturing and appro- Company and Improvement River project. begin the to Corps the $25,000 for priated Company. It required the company to spend $25,000 on $25,000 spend to company the It required Company. 1, February before project the failed company If the 1871. to might jeopard- project the that believed and Anthony Falls the to falls. Due at the work funding repair for federal ize m Over the next year, he began developing plans, year, next the developing began Over he determining dam with a 17- and one lock build Engineers could the that Congress required the state to return the land grant before the grant before land the return to state the required Congress project, begin the to Eager start. could Corps Francis Major Fa he project, in grant the that on a provision focusing instead li de dumping continue able to be not would they that feared river, the into navigation, obstruct sawdust as it would and o company boom la in Minneapolis,businessmen support, that for and At company. of the control back won Minneapolis interests this point, fighting began among them- Minneapolitans project. the over selves to the lumber rafts they sent downriver. Some opponents downriver. sent they rafts lumber the a the by river, subsidized the interests improve private not go te c within a single township. sections of more sale the for allow To Cook's 79 rren engaged Franklin engaged rren St. Paul Daily Dispatch St. Paul Wa 82 78 Minneapolis Daily Tribune Daily Minneapolis St. Paul industrial boosters also industrial boosters St. Paul a deal between Meeker and a number and Meeker between a deal 80 Through brought new hope for the project, the for hope new brought when, in his 81 Congress of the importance of their project. of their importance of the Congress

d his survey between 1866 and 1867 and, and 1866 between d his survey to nt.” te ce e clared that the dam had given St. Paul “a water power “a water St. Paul given dam had the that clared le On March 6,On March 1869, grant to land the awarded state the Navigation boosters in Minneapolis failed, boosters Navigation however, to Warren On June 7,On June 1868, the in de

mantly opposed locks and dams. As Cook had worked for worked had As Cook dams. and locks mantly opposed undertake the survey. Cadwallader C. Washburn and his and Washburn C. Cadwallader survey. the undertake m, it. build Corps the having than rather a nv mp

aul to the ‘Magnet.’” the aul to eport and lobbying by Representative Donnelly and Senator and Donnelly Representative by lobbying and eport had claimed victory. A day earlier,A day the victory. claimed the Mississippi River Improvement and Manufacturing and Improvement Mississippithe River co Minnesota the and request Meeker's rejected Congress grant in of a lock a land support for petition Legislature's dam inand 1866. It did, of Corps the however, authorize Snelling St. and Fort between reach the survey to Engineers Anthony Falls, upper of the survey with its general along Mississippi River. 1867 annual report,1867 annual a construct $235,665 to requested he andlock dam at Meeker Island. of St. Paul businessmen,of St. Paul of control gained had Paulites St. by created waterpower the get would and company Meeker's dam,the thought it over- state the if Minneapolis and even Anthony Falls. St. by shadowed Alexander Ramsey finally convinced Congress to give the give to Congress finally Ramsey convinced Alexander the finance grant to land a 200,000-acre of Minnesota State da “trans- dam would and lock Island Meeker the that claimed St. from country of this upper prestige commercial the fer P r brother William D.,William brother owners Mill Company's Minneapolis the millers, prominent and city's most powerful of the two and ad Cook, Minneapolis Mill Company, of the employee a former to Cook report. a negative Washburns, the expected Meeker co surprise, con- dam be and Meeker's a lock that recommended Island, at Meeker structed lift. with a 13-foot equal to St. Anthony,” and would provide enough power “to power enough provide would and Anthony,” St. to equal manufacturing on the cities largest one of the St. Paul make contin 91 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:04 AM Page 91 Page AM 8:04 8/5/03 557016_Book_r 557016_Book_r 8/5/038:04AMPage92

RIVER OF HISTORY: A Historic Resources Study of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area 20 more years. however, would delay the projectof Meeker for Island, nearly the purchase including overand haggling land for the project, ro evaluated its1890survey, during removing boulders and and the Corps focused downstream. itsefforts ye Fa do which they could notuntil the could Engineers take borings, had to wait he declared, foot Further work lift. onthe project, co feet. Lock 2(the and Meeker Dam Island Lock and Dam) be W navigation tobring the old steamboat below landing the that the Corps would have to build two locks and to dams i bor- including Mackenzie made the surveys, the river ..” and exact estimates for locks and for dams thisportion of Fe re and money. wasted time he charged, anyother efforts, Meeker Island; locks in wh provided $50,000to the Corps to removething, boulders, under pressure from to Minneapolis do some- Congress, re i loc da Corps to remove the boulders locks ofbuilding lieu in and in ta the Rock Island commander District who had Mackenzie, ngs, during the low-water during season of1893and concludedngs, gbudr,believing that the steep grade and rapid cur- ng boulders, t ke nt required locks and dams. As Mackenzie anticipated, ashington Avenue Bridge. Lock 1would and Dam have to ar c

l hnb lcdaot29mlsusra,belowuld then be placed about 2.9miles upstream, ray1,19,directed Mackenzie “to prepare new 1893, 15, bruary rq

s even ithad though authorized $25,000to plan for a ms,

r t the Corps not did work. begin Nevertheless,urn it, 81 I 82 Mackenzie insisted again that only 1891. In1892, suspected that authorize Congress the might 1888, placed above Minnehaha Creek and have of13.3 alift until the state returned the grant. As the state failed to k and dam in 1873.Hequestionedk and in dam the value ofremov- ks to encourage ich the summer the of1890and during did Engineers

n over ofthe thispart river withthe change funding in uhar optimistically asked for $300,000for the fiscal en Th inln osbebek h he fEgnes on the ChiefofEngineers, break, apossible Signaling and could dams regularly entice steamboats above di okaddmpoethplsl ie,the Corps, e lock and project dam hopelessly mired, gJn 0 1876. ng June 30, 89 87 St. Paul remained the head ofnavigation,

navigation. 86 Disagreement over the grant 88 Major Alexander J. tried to explain the matter to Mayor Minneapolis R. Shunk, unknown. Major FrancisThe St.Paul commander, District that dam couldhigh have Wh had ca de through Lock 2imagined that the new would facility be creetly asmay be to castThere light. alittle isthe cityof this matter isasecret uponwhich Iproceed history, asdis- two instead ofone.Connected with tion oflocks and dams; i na Congress directed the Corps to extend 1894. Inthisact, the River in and Harbor Navigation,” Act of August 18, Congress authorized the “Five-Foot Project in Aid of pressure by navigation proponents Minneapolis, in ot Extending navigation above St. Anthony Falls withthe $568,222 and that Lock 2would and Dam cost $598,235. it. Heestimated that Lock 1would and Dam cost Anthony Falls and afourth lock navigation to above bring loc Mackenzie added that the Corps would have to build athird and would have of13.8feet. alift Meeker Island, be Br Avenue the mouth ofthe Minnesota River to the Washington Congress called for improving the river from near 1, Dam lock. the Engineers had begun constructing the Lock and 1, Dam the steamboat first to pass through the lock the 1907, and onMay 19, Lock 2, and Dam By the fall of1906the Engineers had completed mostof 1899. the River 1in and Dam and Harbor Act ofMarch 3, Congress provided for the construction ofLock 1894 act, ng Lock 2. and Dam

.Hye nFbur 7 1909. “Now asto the duplica- C. Haynes onFebruary 17, her trdttet h edo aiain butthe low dams ptured title to the head ofnavigation, stroyed 5years. within

vigation to the Washington Avenue Bridge by construct- built below Meeker Island. Following through onthe k and witha10.1-foot dam navigation to to bring lift St. ogesatoie w o as instead of one y Congress authorized two low dams,

el 92 St. Paul suffered adouble setback. had Minneapolis Accepting Mackenzie’s arguments and under continual

two locks and would dams total $1,538,702. iminated St.Paul’s hope for securing hydropower. Few, idge, indicating that another lock and dam would dam lock and another that indicating idge, fay spectators watchingif any, the 91 W hile not itdid mention Lock and eeae yrpwr is generated hydropower, Itura (Figure 11) Itura paddle became 90 . At 92 Chapter 4 • TRANSFORMING THE RIVER I Meeker Island Lock and Dam under in construction the Lock Island Meeker ly low water. Congress, water. soon ly low however, would of navigation. The river pioneers once forded with forded once pioneers river The of navigation.

r’s banks from St. Paul to St. Louis. Hundreds of miles Hundreds St. Louis. to Paul St. from banks r’s uld make this impossible. make uld ad ve ri dams at the Five with riprap. secured been had of riverbank snow, winter’s the the it for holding stored Headwaters fall, and summer the and Anthony St. at millers the when author- had Congress And it. need would below steamboats ized, year, that Headwaters, a sixth the dam for at one the another dam and and lock completed A newly Gull Lake. Minneapolis the make to promised construction one under he Maybe, existed. no longer livestock a at and wagons their Hastings, and St. Paul places,few between especially set- bar during on some persistent across waded have could tlers extreme that Mississippi upper River the for projects new authorize wo FIGURE 11. Lock by yet not been inundated has in river the foreground The distance. Society. Historical 1. Minnesota and Dam No. Minneapolis 93 somehow won the debate over building one or two building one or over debate the won somehow

its of Minneapolis, within limits the of St. entirely or ms. While intense local issues had resulted in two dams, in two resulted had issues local intense While ms. asons, within the dam lie must and entirely a single lock m aul. . . . Enough said. There are two locks.” two are There aul. . . . Enough said. ct for one. ct for had da proj- a new to lead would debate national intense an equally e Summary By 1907, Minneapolis, St. Paul, river other Hastings and cities, the through and lobbying successful their through Corps, dramatical- Mississippi upper River the changed had the of wing closing dams and dams studded Hundreds ly. li P St. Paul, physical city of Minneapolis. For is the there and re 93 557016_Book_r 8/5/03 8:04 AM Page 93 Page AM 8:04 8/5/03 557016_Book_r