10. Robert E. Lee helped make St. Louis a major shipping center
Robert E. Lee is chiefly remembered for his service to the Confederacy, his surrender which ended the American Civil War, and as the symbol of nobility of the mythical Lost Cause. His military service remains controversial; to some, he was a traitor to his country whose actions caused the deaths of thousands, while to others he was a hero of state’s rights and freedom. He is a figure whose life is shrouded by myths and falsehoods. To some, he was one of the greatest generals in American history, to others his military mistakes, such as at Gettysburg, led to the defeat of the South. But there is no question he is remembered primarily for his actions during the Civil War, and ultimately for his surrender to Ulysses Grant in 1865.
Before the Civil War, Lee made a contribution to the growth of the United States which served to strengthen the nation by making the upper Midwest, with its fertile acreage, a viable agricultural area. In order to successfully grow crops profitably there has to be a method of moving them to markets, and for the upper Midwest that means the Mississippi River, which had the disturbing habit of becoming too shallow for transit, often during the dry period which coincided with harvest season. As a member of the US Army Corps of Engineers, Lee solved the problem by damming a portion of the river north of St. Louis, diverting the river flow to the west side of the river. The increased flow scoured the bottom of the river on the St. Louis side, deepening it, and making the river passable through the port year-round. It was possibly his greatest contribution to the success of the United States.