St. Paul District History Books

Steward of Headwaters: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, 1975-2000

This book is the sequel to "Creativity, Conflict and Controversy." It covers the history of the St. Paul District from 1975 to 2000 and a little beyond and explores of the extension of the Corps' mission to include regulatory, cultural resources and environmental missions.

CITATION: Catton, Theodore and Matthew C. Godfrey. Steward of Headwaters: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, 1975-2000. St. Paul, Minnesota: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District, 2004.

Link (PDF)


Creativity, Conflict and Controversy: A History of the St. Paul District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1866-1975

"The history of the St. Paul District is the history of the upper Midwest and its growth over more than century," according to Col. (Ret.) Forrest T. Gay, III, the district's 49th district engineer.

Published in 1979, the book examines the history of the district, starting with the area's exploration by the French and ending with the Corps' work up to the mid-1970s. Merritt details the major projects undertaken by the district, including dam construction on the waterways in the Upper Mississippi Valley.

But far from just a list of projects, the book examines the various conflicts and controversies surrounding the Corps, such as environmental issues. As Merritt wrote in the preface, "The current popular image of the Corps - good, bad or indifferent - is largely myth." By making this book available to the public through the internet, we hope to be able to inform the public of all the Corps has done for the Upper Mississippi Valley and the Corps' role in their lives.

CITATION: Merritt, Raymond H. Creativity, Conflict and Controversy: A History of the St. Paul District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1979.

Link (PDF)

Contact History Office

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
St. Paul District - History Office
180 5th St. E., Suite 700
St. Paul, MN 55101
Phone: (651) 290-5680
Fax: (651) 290-5752
cemvp-pa@usace.army.mil