Many towns along the Mississippi River are working models of history.

Guttenberg showcases some of its history at lock and dam number 10.

Grieve: We're at the Lockmaster's House Heritage Museum, run by the Guttenberg Heritage Society.

It was founded in 1991 as a museum to preserve the history of the river and the town.

Kohlsdorf: River towns with a lock-and-dam system were crucial for the development of the country.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the government agency charged with operating the lock-and-dam system.

From 1938 to 1973, the Army Corps required a close, hands-on approach for the operation of the locks.

Kohlsdorf: One rule lockmasters had to live by was where they lived.

The Army Corps of Engineers mandated lockmasters must live on site of the lock and dam in their care.

Grieve: In 1972 they lifted that requirement for them to live on site.

Kohlsdorf: The Lockmaster's House Museum showcases construction of lock and dam number 10, along with exhibits displaying some of Guttenberg's rich past.

The Working lock and dam offers travelers just one example of how the Mississippi River weaves history through the communities along its banks.

They come up the Great River Road.

They stop, see our 3-mile-long park here in town, and then wander down here to see the lock and dam, and then they usually come in here to see what this is all about.

Kohlsdorf: Completed in 1937, lock and dam number 10 at Guttenberg is part of the Upper Mississippi River's 13 lock-and-dam systems, known as the St. Paul District.

In 1969, the Army Corps of Engineers refurbished the lock and dam, and the system is still in use today.