General Map of the Lower Reach of Saginaw River, Mich. [and] General Map of the Upper Reach of Saginaw River, Mich.

Improving Michigan’s Saginaw River in the late 19th century.

This impressive pair of plans showing the course of the Saginaw River was prepared by B.H. Muehle of the Army Corps of Engineers for inclusion in a report by his superior officer, Lieutenant Colonel G.J. Lydecker. Lydecker was tasked by the War Department with determining the cost of a channel 14 feet deep and 200 feet wide, connecting the town of Saginaw to Bay City. He and his party personally undertook many of the requisite surveys, resulting in the detailed depiction of the waterway. Depth sounds are noted throughout, but there is also a surprising amount of detail given to the coastline, especially regarding industrial operations that would benefit from improved commercial navigation.