Gateway to Minnesota History
Blizzards to the Panama Canal: America’s Golden Engineer
January 30 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm CST
Marias Pass by Mike Danneman via flickr
John Frank Stevens was one of the most prominent surveyors and civil engineers of the last 150 years. Learn about his illustrious career and the challenges he faced along the way, including discovering and surveying Marias Pass in a 40 below blizzard and surviving an avalanche. Stevens was hired by President Theodore Roosevelt for the construction of the Panama Canal. Through his discoveries and surveys of Marias Pass and Stevens Pass, the Great Northern Railway was able to stretch across North America.
The talk will include:
THE WILLIAM CROOKS ENGINE
LOCAL MAINLINES IN WASHINGTON COUNTY
SURVEYING WITH JOHN FRANK STEVENS-
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS,
THE CASCADE RANGE,
THE PANAMA CANAL
…AND A 1910 AVALANCHE
This program will be presented by Herb Reckinger Jr. of the South Washington Heritage Society
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page
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