The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-29
History Of the ReserDoir System
At the Head of the Mississippi
How 1t Came Be Built and the Purpose Was Intended
Serue-S Statement of Senator Washburn, Who Com
ceiDed the idea and Made 1t Effectue-The
Riuer Traffic of the Future.

While the agitation for the abandon
ment of the reservoirs at the head Of the
Mississippi or for change of manage
ment is over and no change will be
made, the history of the building Of
these reservoirs is something that will
no doubt interest many people in this
state, the work having been undertaken
and carried out so many years ago that
at least half the population Of the state
has become resident since this import
ant work was done.
Nobody is in a position to recite the
history Of the Mississippi river reser-
voirs as well as Senator w. D. Wash
burn, who was instrumental in estab-
fishing them in the first place and who
was called before the experts at their
recent meeting to furnish this informa-
ton. The following is the substance of
Mr.. Washburn s statements:
In the fall of 1857 | was made agent
of the Minneapolis Mill company and
under direction of that company con-
structed dam on the west or Minneapo-
lis side of the Mississippi at st. An
thony Falls. I have kept closely in
formed as to conditions relating to the
upper river ever since.
Early Floods.
"During the early years of my resi-
'dence in Minnesota there were much
greater extremes in the flow of water
in the river than in later years. Dur
freshet was almost as much Of GER
tainty as the arrival of the month.
We had terrible foods-foods which, if
we h. had them now would cause great
1868 and 1864 the river was at it's low
est point, SO that the fluctuations were
much greater than they have been in
the last twenty-five years. I had be-
con come familiar as a boy in Maine In; with
me naturally to think whether some
thing of the same kind could not be
s aesG ne nT learning O. that hat there here
was gorge or narrow channel at Poke
gema falls, where dam could be in
expensively and securely constructed,
l personally located the forty acres of
land where the Pokegema dam is now
situated: did this in 1859 in the be:
the federal government or the state
government-would take up this i'm
provement and I wished to protect any
such enterprise from the devices, OF
extortioners or grafters. This land OF
such part of it as was needed / decided
to the government, but it was found
that the building of dam at Pokegems
would not fully serve the purpose, anC
the theory of holding water in Winni
was adopted. .-,. g.
The First Appropriation.
In the forty-sixth congress, in 1880
I secured an appropriation of ;$l50,lo0'
to commence work. 1t was the frs
recognition by the government of tn
utility of such a scheme. The ln1tla
appropriation was secured only after
great struggle. Later appropriation
came easily. --..
81 then went to the chief Of engi
neers, called his attention to this ap
preparation and said to him: The build
ing of these dams will necessarily over
flow a vast region Of territory, 1t !
all low bottom lands, and whenever tn
dams are built, this entire region vii
be overfowed. I think that before Wor
is commenced, these lands should b
withdrawn from the market He az
coded to the propriety of the, sugges
ton and asked the secretary OF the III
terror to have the lands withdraw
Extensive maps were made as to tn
probable region to be overfiowed, an
were Immediately withdrawn from tn
market, so that I imagine at least nine
tenths of all the land that has bee
overlooked in consequence OF the resel
voirs was and is government land.
/, - The Object.
"I and others have at times bee
| criticized as to the motive In bulldln
! - s,os% 81 q 4
| tive was the improvement of navlgat1o
of the Mississippi river from the Fall
of Pokegema as far as they could b
made effective. Anyone, however, 9
| good sense could well understand tina
| these dams could not be built, or in
provements made, without great result
| ing benefits. AS a matter of fact, tn
government rarely makes appropriation
for public works without outside int
ests receiving greater or less benefit
Such was the case at the improvement
Of both the upper and lower rapids g
the MISSISSIPPI. Ii mas peen esPeelai.
the case in improving the rivers !
West Virginia and other sections OF tn
country, and I have no doubt that tn
building of the locks and dams betwee
Minneapolis and Fort Smelling can b
utilized in the development Of waite
power whereby the government can r.
ceive, in return, an amount that Woul
| largely pay the interest on the cost G
construction.
GAS a matter of course, was inte
ested in this improvement as any, othe
| citizen. This whole country, includin
! Duluth, was in my congressional Gil
trict at the time, and my constituent
/ were all interested, not only IN the ma
ter of improving the navigation OF tn
Mississippi, but also in the general d'
velopment Of the country.
''It was felt, by all interested, tina
/ the building Of the reservoirs would In
prove the navigation to a greater o
| less extent between the Falls of st. Al
thonv and Grand Rapids. How niue
navigation would be thereafter deve
/ oped no one could foresee, but it wa
| felt certain that it would at least in
/ prove greatly the navigation of tn
| river from st. Paul to the head Of LAX
| Pepin, and, to some extent, as far dow
/ the river as Dubuque, and that it woul
enable steamboats, to reach st. Paul du,
4 ing the entire season, which otherwis
| they would not be able to do.
fsDuring all this period, when thes
appropriations were being secured | wa
| member Of the committee of con
1 merce. in the house and afterwards
1 the senate, so that was in position,
! some extent, to make myself felt. A
these improvements I watched as the
wont forward, comforting frequent
/ with Major Allen, who was then
/ charge Of the work on the Mississippi
/ and I learned, as the reservoirs wei
4 being built, one after the other, thu
they were asserting themselves.
4 different periods in their progress, VIZ
told by Major Allen or Major Powe