When looking for information, especially for historical information, the two sources that most often come to mind are naturally the internet and books (i.e., the library). What if you could have both? This article summarizes some electronic resources that provide instant access to a wide variety of research, especially primary resources, on the history of civil engineering, particularly in the subjects of bridges, waterways, and railroads.
 

Some sites that provide a wider breadth of historical information are maintained by universities, notably Cornell University and the University of Michigan. Both have sites devoted to the “Making of America,” which provide access to primary sources dating from the antebellum period through to reconstruction. Both collections include documents such as books and journal articles related to science and technology, among other diverse topics.
 

The American Society of Civil Engineers also maintains a History and Heritage (H&H) website, with sections devoted to landmark civil engineering projects, notable civil engineers, and digital images of civil engineering. The site also includes links to resources within ASCE itself, such as newsletters and the ASCE H&H Committee.
 

If you are looking for information on building history, the American Memory website at the Library of Congress may be a useful starting point. The website contains the records of the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historical American Engineering Record (HAER), which include photographs and digitized images of plans, drawings, and handwritten records.
One site that has done the research for you is the Digital Librarian, which bills itself as the “librarian’s choice of the best of the Web.” The site includes a section on railroads and waterways, which consists of a collection of links to resources relevant to those topics, including many with digitized versions of historical documents.
 

Lehigh University has developed a website devoted to bridges, aptly titled “Digital Bridges.” The site provides access to books and articles on bridge building (and failures), and is particularly focused on bridges in the New York vicinity. Another New York–based archive is the Catskill Archive, which includes the “Railroad Extra” website created by Thomas Ehrenreich, with specific attention to the Erie Railroad and related historical resources.
 

With these websites at your fingertips, you’ll be a civil engineering history whiz in no time, all without leaving your desk. Happy researching!

• Cornell University Making of America: http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/
• University of Michigan Making of America: http://quod.lib.umich.edu:80/m/moa/
• Digital Librarian: www.digital-librarian.com/railroads.html
• Library of Congress, American Memory: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/
• The Catskill Archive:  http://www.catskillarchive.com/home.htm
• Lehigh University Digital Bridges: http://bridges.lib.lehigh.edu
• ASCE History and Heritage: http://www.asce.org/history

Source: “Historical Documents available on the Net,” A Newsletter on the History and Heritage of American Civil Engineering, January 2008, Vol. II, Issue No. 1.
 

This website was originally developed by Charles Camp for CIVL 1112.
This site is maintained by the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Memphis.
Your comments and questions are welcomed.