Event: Re-routing the Mississippi River
Brief Description: By 1837, the Mississippi River had been diverted away from the St. Louis harbor by the growth of Duncan´s Island. Only a small trickle of water still flowed between the tree-covered, 200-acre island and St. Louis. The city suffered with this situation for over 15 years until it was finally rectified in 1853. Army engineer Captain Robert E. Lee was assigned to St. Louis to work on restoring the flow of the river to the big city. Lee´s plan solved the problem for a short time, a lack of funds prevented full-scale implementation. As a result, the river found its way around the small barricades he had constructed. By 1842, ferry boats had to detour two miles in crossing the river. St. Louis´ tiny river continued through the 1840s until 1853, when city engineer Samuel Curtis solved the problem by instituting all of Lee´s original plan.
Year: 1837
Decade: 1840 - 1849
Beginning Date: 1837
Ending Date: Jan. 01, 1853
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