Drivers passing Interstate 270 often mistake them for abandoned river castles or strange Route 66 landmarks — but these structures were built for a far more important purpose. Known as the Chain of Rocks intake towers, they were once the front line of St. Louis’ drinking water system.
Built in 1894 and expanded in 1915, these towers allowed engineers to draw water directly from the Mississippi River and send it through tunnels to the city’s massive waterworks plant. Inside, keepers lived for weeks at a time operating intake gates, monitoring river conditions, and defending the system against floods, ice jams, and the powerful currents of one of the muddiest rivers in the world.
In this episode of It’s History, we explore the surprising story behind the Mississippi River intake towers — from Mark Twain’s famous criticism of the city’s muddy water to the dramatic engineering project that placed fortress-like structures in the middle of America’s most dangerous river.
