those from Iowa, Illinois, and New York, endeavored to establish the canal with government backing. Ulysses S. Grant, a resident of Illinois, was elected president in 1868. Because of this, the federal government began responding to the pressure from Illinois; however, the first federal survey was not made until two years later, in 1870. The survey was conducted under the authority of Colonel Wilson of the United States Corps of Engineers and done by Graham P. Low, Civil Engineer and surveyor. Low's plan was for the canal to be wide and in depth, with locks at the cost of $12,500,000. The United States Senate appointed a committee to study the value of Low's proposal. In 1881, four hundred representatives of commercial, city, and farmers associations from seven states met in Davenport, Iowa, to start a similar group called the Hennepin Canal Commission. It was created to negotiate with Chicago groups to stress the national importance of the canal. The committee concluded that a canal would regulate railroad freight rates (Yeater 3). Another survey had been made in 1882–83. The surveyor, Major W. H. H. Benyard of the U.S. Corps of Engineers, recommended one of the three proposed routes be selected. The route names were as follows: The Marais d’Osier, Watertown, and Rock Island (Yeater 3). The eastern half of all three routes was the same; the canal would begin at the Illinois River about above Hennepin. The significant difference among the three lies at the western half, where the canal would end. In 1886, the United States Congress appointed a Board of Engineers to scrutinize the routes and investigate the effects the canal would have on national commerce. The board reported that benefits would exceed costs, and they suggested that the Marais d’Osier route be selected. The report was accepted by the Secretary of War and the Chief Engineers; however, the route was later rejected because of commercial reasons and the greater military significance that the Rock Island route had to offer (Yeater 3). Fulton and Albany claimed that their cities were an ideal place for the canal, but Rock Island had a larger population and flourishing river port, so it was more convincing to construct at that location (Bastian 138). Although a survey had been made, from 1886 to 1889 Congress had considered plans but no construction had been started; however, in the year 1890, Congress provided $500,000 to