The District: A History of the Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1866-1971

Abstract

Abstract : Since its establishment in 1866, the United States Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District has made important contributions to the growth, development and protection of our rivers, streams, and shores. This volume will describe the major features of the Philadelphia District's activities, the details and methods of coping with the practical engineering problems of the day. Throughout each chapter will run the thread of imaginative thinking and creative ingenuity by both military and civilian as they met the challenges before them. In the early years rivers were the primary trade routes of our nation, and the Philadelphia District was there-dredging and maintaining those navigable waterways in order that Philadelphia could become one of the country's leading trade centers. When floods came the Philadelphia District was there night and day, until restoration was completed and plans submitted for future protection. Each chapter depicts a specific activity of the District and carries it through time, both in word and illustration. From the area's first public works ice harbor built at New Castle in 1803 by the Army Engineers, to safe ecological direct pumpout of dredged material, to the Corps' first use of multiported outlet structures at Beltzville Lake, to conservation of the wetlands, the Philadelphia District has stood first in public service and led the way in technological development.