Kaukauna Locks Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Kaukauna Locks Historic District
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The Kaukauna Locks Historic District
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| Location | Kaukauna, Wisconsin |
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| NRHP reference No. | 93001327 |
| Added to NRHP | December 7, 1993 |
The Kaukauna Locks Historic District is a special system of lock and dams in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. It helped boats travel around a fast-moving part of the Fox River. This system was built in the 1850s as part of the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 because it's an important example of engineering and transportation history.
Why Rivers Were Important
Long ago in Wisconsin, before there were railroads or good roads, rivers were the main highways. Native Americans used rivers to travel. Explorers and traders also used them to move goods. The Fox and Wisconsin Rivers were very important. They almost connected the Great Lakes (and the Atlantic Ocean) to the Mississippi River. This meant they could link the eastern United States to the middle of North America.
By the 1840s, people had a big idea. They wanted to connect the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. There was only a short land path, called a portage, between them. If they could connect these rivers, it would be like building a new Erie Canal. This new water path would help develop the Midwest. It would also make money for people along the route.
However, parts of the Fox River were hard to use. Some areas had fast-moving water called rapids. The biggest rapids were at Kaukauna. Here, the river dropped 50 feet in just one mile. This made it impossible for large boats to pass. Even small canoes needed a long portage to get around. This blocked bigger cargo ships from using the river.
Building the Waterway
In 1848, the U.S. Congress gave land to help pay for river improvements. The goal was to make the Fox and Wisconsin rivers easier to navigate. In 1851, Wisconsin's Board of Public Works hired people to build locks and a dam at Kaukauna. But by 1853, the work wasn't finished, and the money ran out.
A private company, the Fox River Improvement Company, took over the project. They got more land from the government. By 1856, they made good progress. A steamship was able to travel from the Wisconsin River down the Fox River to Green Bay. Still, the river channels were not deep enough for regular shipping. The company eventually went bankrupt, and the project stopped again.
In 1872, the federal government took control. By then, the Kaukauna system included a 7,400-foot canal. It also had five wooden locks and a wooden dam. The dam was 583 feet long and six feet high. The Army Corps of Engineers decided to rebuild most parts. They used strong stone and concrete. This rebuilding started in 1880. The old dam was finally replaced with concrete in 1932. With this, the lock and dam system looked much like it does today.
Parts of the System
- The Canal: This long ditch was dug in the 1850s. It has been made deeper many times since then. It is 7,000 feet long and about six feet deep. Its width changes from 100 to 250 feet. The wider spots allow boats to pass each other.
- The Dam: Near the top of the canal is the dam. It is 603 feet long and was rebuilt with concrete in 1931 and 1932. The dam creates a pool of water. This water fills the canal to operate the locks. Each end of the dam has a spillway, which lets extra water flow over. The middle part has eight gates called sluiceways. Each sluiceway has a Tainter gate. An electric winch, called the "crab," moves along a track to open and close these gates.
- The Guard Lock: This lock is at the upstream end. It protects the other locks from sudden rushes of water. It was built in 1891. It has strong limestone walls and wooden gates.
- The Five Locks: There are five locks in the canal. Each lock is about 144 feet long and 36 feet wide. Their walls are made of limestone blocks, and they have timber gates. Workers open and close the gates using a hand-crank and gears. The locks fill with water using valves at the upstream end. They empty using valves at the downstream end. Each lock lifts a boat about 10 feet. It takes about four minutes to fill a lock and three minutes to empty it. Lock 1 was rebuilt in 1882, lock 2 in 1903, and locks 3 and 4 in 1876-78. Lock 5 is special because its walls are made of rubblestone and wooden planks. This is how it was built in the 1850s, and it has been kept up since then. Each lock has a pipe railing around it and a small lock shack built in 1917.
- The Lockkeeper's House: This house is near lock 1. It is a 1.5-story building with a gabled roof. It was built around 1890. Nearby are a stable built around 1900 and a boathouse.
- The Railroad Swing Bridge: This bridge is below lock 2. It is not part of the navigation system, but it is included in the historic district. It was built in 1903. It has a Warren truss design and an electric motor.
Decline and Reopening
The waterway across Wisconsin never became a major route for trade. The upper Fox River was slow and winding. Even the machines used to dig the river got stuck there. The Wisconsin River was also tricky to navigate. It had shifting sandbars that made it hard for boats to pass.
By the 1850s, roads were getting better. New railroads were also being built across the state. Trains could run all year, no matter the water levels. Because of this, traffic on the rivers slowly disappeared. In 1982, the Army Corps of Engineers suggested that the Fox River lock system should be taken apart.
After many years of talks, the Corps transferred the locks to the state in 2004. Restoration work began, and the Kaukauna locks were planned to reopen in 2017.
