The Corps of Engineers of the United States Army, commanded by the Office of the Chief of Engineers (OCE), was established on March 16, 1802 by President Thomas Jefferson. Its military responsibilities have included producing and distributing Army maps, building roads, planning camps, and constructing and repairing fortifications and other installations. At the same time, the Corps of Engineers contributed to the improvement of the country via civil duties which have included maintaining and improving inland waterways and harbors, formulating and executing plans for flood control, operating dams and locks, and approving plans for construction of bridges, wharves, piers, and other works over navigable waters. Expansion of the OCE’s river and harbor improvement work after the Civil War necessitated the establishment of district offices throughout the United States. The engineer officer in charge of each district reported directly to the Chief of Engineers until 1888 when engineer divisions were created with administrative jurisdiction over the district offices.
The Philadelphia District was established in 1866 to manage the water resources of the Delaware River Basin, and of the Atlantic Coast from the Manasquan Inlet of New Jersey to the southern boundary of Delaware. Despite the date of establishment, the “Corps’ local legacy dates back to Revolutionary times, when Army Engineers planned the encampment and defense of General Washington’s colonial army at Valley Forge” (US Army Corps of Engineers). Throughout the 1800s, the Corps of Engineers was active in the Philadelphia region, constructing breakwaters and Fort Delaware. After official establishment, the Philadelphia District built ice piers in 1908, acted as a procurement supply depot for engineer and military supply needs during World War I, operated and maintained the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and deepened the Delaware River for increased navigation. During World War II, the Corps of Engineers constructed coastal defenses, expanded Fort Dix, and built the Frankford Arsenal and the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia. Significant projects during the first half of the 20th century include Absecon Inlet, Cold Spring Inlet, Indian River, the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, Mispillion River, the Wilmington Harbor, the Schuylkill River and the Delaware River. Over the last half of the 20th century, the Corps of Engineers worked on flood control; wetlands; remediation of hazardous, radioactive and toxic wastes; projects to restore ecosystems; and erosion problems.
From the guide to the General correspondence relating to Civil Works projects originating under the Wilmington and Philadelphia Engineers, Bulk, 1907-1943, 1871-1948, (National Archives at Philadelphia)
