The river we have wrought
Subtitle: a history of the upper Mississippi
By: John O. Anfinson.
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
Published: 2003
Place of publication: Minneapolis
Language: eng
Number of pages: 365
Subjects: Human ecology -- Mississippi River; Mississippi River -- History.; Mississippi River -- Environmental conditions.; Mississippi River -- Navigation -- History.
Description: "The River We Have Wrought is a landmark history of the upper Mississippi, from early European exploration through the completion of a navigable channel and a system of locks and dams in the mid-twentieth century.".

"John O. Anfinson explores the origins of navigation improvements and traces the physical design of the river to the grain empire's feud with railroads and to the politics of port cities. He also reveals how the conservation movement rose to challenge navigation's supremacy, questioning the impact of the locks and dams on the ecology of the river.".

"At a time when the role of such public works and their impact on the environment are being intensely debated, The River We Have Wrought is an essential examination of how politics has shaped the landscapes of the Upper Midwest and how taming the river has affected economic sustainability, river ecology, and biological diversity."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Innumerable; title: This splendid juggernaut; title: The bounty of providence; title: Making the Mississippi over again; title: Highway of empire; title: So nearly perfected by nature; title: Cradle, home, and place of sojourn; title: A marooned interior; title: Straining at the chains; title: An inland empire's need; title: This noble river; title: Epilogue : fourth river.