The Mighty Mississippi
Streszczenie:
Mississippi Palisades
Lazy River Marina
Sabula - Savanna bridge
Sabula Rail Bridge
Clinton-Fulton Bridge
Fulton - Heritage Canyon
Fulton - Lincoln Highway
Fulton - Sand Preserve
Fulton - Dam #13 (na 13:00)
Fulton - Great River Road
Fulton - wiatrak
Le Claire - destylarnia (najpóźniej na 16:00)
bonus: Hennepin Canal
The DeKalb Oasis
2700 Crego Rd, DeKalb, IL
(815) 403-8244
The Mighty Mississippi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River
mapa zlewiska: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mississippi_watershed_map_1.jpg
zlewisko M = 3.5 powierzchni Europy: Europa: 3,930,000 sq mi; zlewisko M = 1,151,000 sq mi
źródła450 m npm -; wisła - 1100 m
długość - Wisła = 1000 km; M = 3734 km
Ojibwe or Algonquin - Wielka rzeka (Sinnissippi - rzeka podobna do jeziora)
Mississippi Palisades - Savanna, IL mapka: http://www.mobilemaplets.com/showplace/2047
- part of Driftless Area
The Native American pathfinders along the rock palisades of the Mississippi River did as present-day hikers do -- in coursing the bluffs, they took the paths of least resistance. The trails at the Mississippi Palisades, especially the park’s southern routes, put you in touch with the past. Walk them and you’ll trace the footsteps of all those who came before you, some of whom came this way nearly a thousand years ago.
Located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Apple rivers in northwestern Illinois, the 2,500-acre Mississippi Palisades State Park is rich in American Indian history.
Natural Features
Palisades is the word used to describe a line of lofty, steep cliffs usually seen along a river, and Mississippi Palisades, 3 miles north of Savanna in Carroll County, handsomely lives up to its name. Caves are evident as are dangerous sink holes--limestone caves that go straight down. Erosion has carved intriguing rock formations, including Indian Head, with its aquiline [=orli] characteristics, and Twin Sisters, a pair of humanoid figures on the bluff tops. The U.S. Interior Department recognized the remarkable nature of this area in 1973 when it designated acreage here as a national landmark.
Wooded ravines, whose brilliant hues splash the cliffs with color each autumn, dissect the unglaciated terrain. Ferns dot the deep ravines, while in the park’s northern region, whte birch leaves of ripple in the wind. Each spring and summer the valleys and slopes are dappled with the blooms of trillium, bluebell, lobelia, shooting star and yellow ladies’ slipper.
Animal life, within the park and the river areas immediately adjoining it, is varied. Waterfowl and shorebirds are numerous, as are wild turkeys. Striking pileated woodpeckers make their home in the park, and depending on ice conditions, eagles feed at the river in January and February. Because so many birds migrate along the river, their lyrical songs can be heard at the Mississippi Palisades each springl.
But not all that’s fascinating about Mississippi Palisades’ wildlife is in the skies. White-tailed deer, gray squirrel, skunk, muskrat and weasel can be viewed in the park, as can mink, gray and red fox, woodchuck and, occasionally, badger.
Lazy River Marina
Savanna - Sabula bridge
truss bridge - most kratownicowy, otwarty December 31, 1932, plus droga po grobli do miasteczka na wyspie
[jedziemy po stronie IA]
Sabula Rail Bridge: http://www.johnweeks.com/river_mississippi/pagesB/umissBR03.html
most kolejowy, kratownicowy Opened 1906; 3 trains per day - obrotowy (Steel Through Truss W/Swing Span)
Clinton-Fulton Bridge (#136) http://www.johnweeks.com/river_mississippi/pagesB/umissB02.html
Opened January 1975.
Fulton - Heritage Canyon 515 North 4th Street http://www.cityoffulton.us/visit-fulton/fulton-attractions/heritage-canyon.html
Heritage Canyon is a 12-acre wooded structure nature walk dotted with buildings that take the visitor back to the 1800's.
Fulton - Lincoln Highway http://drivelincolnhighway.com/
3,389 mi (5,454 km)
mapka: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/LH-Map-75.jpg
mapka samego IL: http://drivelincolnhighway.com/pdfs/map_new.pdf
mural: http://www.cityoffulton.us/media/k2/items/cache/0d1fd34f22c9730e91eb5170fbddc114_XL.jpg
The Lincoln Highway is one of the first transcontinental highways for automobiles across the United States of America.[1] The highway turns 100 years old in 2013.
Conceived and promoted by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spans coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah,Nevada, and California. In 1915, the "Colorado Loop" was removed, and in 1928, a realignment relocated the Lincoln Highway through the northern tip of West Virginia. Thus, there are a total of 14 states, 128 counties, and over 700 cities, towns and villages through which the highway passes at some time in its history.
The first officially recorded length of the entire Lincoln Highway in 1913 was 3,389 miles (5,454 km).[a] Over the years, the road was improved and numerous realignments were made, and by 1924 the highway had been shortened to 3,142 miles (5,057 km). Counting the original route and all of the subsequent realignments, there is a grand total of 5,869 miles (9,445 km).[3]
Conceived in 1912 and formally dedicated October 31, 1913, the Lincoln Highway is America's first national memorial to President Abraham Lincoln, predating the 1922 dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. by nine years. As the first automobile road across America, the Lincoln Highway brought great prosperity to the hundreds of cities, towns and villages along the way. The Lincoln Highway became affectionately known as "The Main Street Across America."
The Lincoln Highway was inspired by the Good Roads Movement. In turn, the success of the Lincoln Highway and the resulting economic boost to the governments, businesses and citizens along its route inspired the creation of many other named long-distance roads (known as National Auto Trails), such as the Yellowstone Trail, National Old Trails Road,Dixie Highway, Jefferson Highway, Bankhead Highway, Jackson Highway, Meridian Highwayand Victory Highway. Many of these named highways were supplanted by the United States Numbered Highways system of 1926. Most of the 1928 Lincoln Highway route became US Route 30, with portions becoming US Route 1 in the East and US Route 40 and US Route 50 in the West. Since 1928, many sections of U.S. Route 30 have been re-aligned with new bypasses; therefore, today's U.S. Route 30 aligns with less than 25% of the original 1913–1928 Lincoln Highway routes.
Most significantly, the Lincoln Highway inspired the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956, which was championed byPresident Dwight D. Eisenhower, influenced by his experiences as a young soldier crossing the country in the 1919 Army Convoy on the Lincoln Highway. Today, Interstate 80 is the cross-country highway most closely aligned with the Lincoln Highway. In the West, particularly in Wyoming, Utah and California, sections of Interstate 80 are paved directly over alignments of the Lincoln Highway.
The Lincoln Highway Association, originally established in 1913 to plan, promote, and sign the highway, was re-formed in 1992 and is now dedicated to promoting and preserving the road. The LHA has over 1000 members located in 40 states and Washington D.C., and in Canada, England, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Scotland, and Russia. The association has active state chapters in 12 Lincoln Highway states and maintains a national tourist center in Franklin Grove, Illinois, in a historic building built by Harry Isaac Lincoln, a cousin of Abraham Lincoln. The LHA holds yearly national conferences, and is governed by a board of directors with representatives from each Lincoln Highway state.[4]
In 2013, the Lincoln Highway Association hosted the Official Lincoln Highway 100th Anniversary Tours and Centennial Celebration. Over 270 people traveling in 140 vehicles, from 28 states and from Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Norway and Russia, participated in the two tours which started simultaneously the last week of June 2013 in New York City and San Francisco, and took one week to reach the midpoint of the Lincoln Highway in Kearney, Nebraska. On Sunday, June 30, 2013, the Centennial Parade in downtown Kearney featuring the tour cars plus another 250 vehicles was attended by 12,500 people. The next day, on Monday, July 1, 2013, the Centennial Celebration Gala was hosted at the Great Platte River Road Archway Museum, where a proclamation from the United States Senate was presented to the Lincoln Highway Association.
Fulton - Sandy Prairie http://www.cityoffulton.us/visit-fulton/fulton-attractions/sand-prairie.html
The Fulton sand prairie is area of land that had much sand deposited there many millions of years ago.
This site contains 212 acres of sand prairie that is recovering from past grazing. Little bluestem, three-awn grass, plains prickly pear cactus and June grass are some of the common plants in the preserve. The big-flowered penstemon also occurs on this site. The preserve is also habitat for several unusual reptile species. The western hog-nosed snake, six lined racerunner and bullsnake are known to occur here.
The area still grows this cactus which is very rare in this part of the country. It grows mostly in the south west. This tells scientists that this area was at one time much warmer. Apparently, over time, much of the top layers have worn away leaving the seeds of these cactus to now germinate and grow. They are a hardy species and very beautiful when in bloom. The bloom is always yellow.
Fulton - Dam #13 aerial photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mississippi_River_Lock_and_Dam_number_13.jpg
ilustracja tam i śluz na górnej Miss: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Upper_Mississippi_River_Stairway_of_Water.png
mapka tam i śluz na górej Miss:
http://prairierivers.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Lock-and-Dam-map.jpg
built in 1939
Lock and Dam No. 13 is a lock and dam located on the Upper Mississippi River aboveFulton, Illinois and Clinton, Iowa, United States. This facility offers visitors a view of the barges and boats locking through on the widest pool in the Upper Mississippi River.
The movable portion of the dam is 1,066 feet (324.9 m) long and consists of ten tainter gates and three roller gates. The non-movable portion of the dam continues toward the Iowa shore with a 200 feet (61.0 m) storage yard, a 728 feet (221.9 m) non-submersible dike, a 1,650 feet (502.9 m) submersible dike, and a 1,315 feet (400.8 m) non-submersible dike with two 90 feet (27.4 m) transitional sections between the submersible and non-submersible sections. There is also an 8,940 feet (2,724.9 m) non-submersible dike on the Illinois side east of the locks. The main lock is 110 feet (33.5 m) wide by 600 feet (182.9 m) long and like most other sites in the project, it has a smaller, unfinished, auxiliary lock. In 2004, the facility was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as Lock and Dam No. 13 Historic District, #04000173 covering 2,542 acres (10.3 km2), 1 building, 6 structures, and 4 objects.
This lock and dam represent the man-made exit from the Driftless Area, where shipping has to travel a few feet above bedrock over the 9-foot (2.7 m) shipping channel. It's about 522 feet (159 m) above sea level.
Fulton - wiatrak http://www.cityoffulton.us/visit-fulton/fulton-attractions/de-immigrant-windmill.html
http://www.illinoiswindmills.org/index_files/Deimmigrant.htm
Fulton's Dutch Windmill was manufactured and pre-assembled in the Netherlands.
Following the delivery to Fulton, the Windmill was assembled and installed by Dutch craftsmen. Standing nearly 100 ft. tall, the massive timbers are assembled by wooden pegs. Dedication of the new Dutch Windmill took place during the Dutch Days Festival 2000.
This authentic Dutch windmill was constructed on the flood control dike in the heart of Fulton. The windmill was engineered and pre-fabricated in the Netherlands and shipped to the United States in containers by ship, rail, and truck transportation. Dutch millwrights and masons traveled to the United States on three separate occasions and rebuilt the windmill in Fulton.
The windmill is fully operational. The entire head (or cap) can turn and the sails move by wind power. The mill is also fully functional with a set of blue basalt millstones that can produce a variety of flours. Stone-ground buckwheat, corn, rye, and wheat flours are all manufactured at "De Immigrant" and are for sale in the gift shop at the Windmill Cultural Center. The stones take up three floors with various machineries, and millers can grind approximately 1 bushel of grain every 10 minutes, wind permitting.
The windmill was designed, manufactured and partially assembled in the Netherlands. Then it was disassembled and getting it to Fulton became a major project. It arrived by ship, rail and truck. Everything but air! Dutchmen stick together. A pair of craftsmen from the Netherlands came to Fulton to reassemble the mill. For all intents and purposes, they became residents. It took them 10 months to do the job. This was a project to be done right. The millwrights were joined by two Dutch masons to clean and install the bricks for the mill. Fulton's Welcome Center, which is in the mill, used bricks salvaged from a 125-year-old building in the Netherlands. Bricks around the base of the mill are from a 150-year-old building in The Netherlands. I looked about and sensed that everything around the place is authentically old. A 25-ton cap sits atop the mill's octagon base, which contains the sails, the shaft for the sails, the brake wheel and the brake. Follow me? If not, visit the mill and look around. As the wind moves the sails - an awesome sight - the brake wheel rotates other shafts and gears. It sounds complicated, and it is, but everything is so authentic. You'll find few places in America that hew to the old-time methods used in Fulton's mill. Sheep fat - and only sheep fat - lubricates the wooden beams on which the cap turns. Beeswax - again, only beeswax - lubricates the brake wheel cogs. The mill is a relative newcomer when it comes to Quad-City region attractions. It was dedicated in 2000, and one year later, blue basalt grinding stones - quarried in Germany - were added to grind authentic wind-driven flour. Efforts to make the mill, a city operation, a major tourist attraction are never-ending. The city is receiving a $150,000 grant from the State of Illinois to build a museum nearby. It will house 22 scale-model windmills. Some are small, but two of them are more than 6 feet high.
Fulton - Great River Road http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_River_Road
w IL: http://www.greatriverroad-illinois.org/
2,069.0 mi[1] (3,329.7 km)
The Great River Road is a collection of state and local roads which follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States. They areArkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,Tennessee and Wisconsin.
In IL (and a few other states) it is also a designated National Scenic Byway.
National Scenic Byway (pol. narodowa droga krajobrazowa) – drogi wyróżnione przez Departament Transportu Stanów Zjednoczonych ze względu na walory archeologiczne, kulturowe, historyczne, przyrodnicze, rekreacyjne lub krajobrazowe. Zadaniem programu, utworzonego przez Kongres Stanów Zjednoczonych w 1991 roku, jest objęcie ochroną mniej uczęszczanych dróg spełniających odpowiednie kryteria, a także promowanie turystyki i rozwoju gospodarczego.
Najbardziej atrakcyjne drogi programu określane są jako All-American Road(pol. droga typowo amerykańska). Drogi takie mają cechy unikalne w skali krajowej oraz często stanowią atrakcje turystyczne same w sobie. W sierpniu2007 roku w program obejmował swoim zasięgiem 126 różnych dróg w 44 różnych stanach. Spośród nich 99 miało rangę National Scenic Byway, natomiast pozostałe 27 dróg posiadało najwyższą rangę All-American Road.
National Scenic Byways Program jest programem federalnym, jednak wielestanów posiada podobne programy stanowe.
Gateway Bridge at Clinton: http://www.johnweeks.com/river_mississippi/pagesB/umissB03.html
(US30)
most wiszący; Opened June 1956, Rebuilt 1999.
Le Claire - destylarnia http://mrdistilling.com/index.shtml
303 North Cody Road (US Hwy 67) in Le Claire, Iowa
I-80 bridge in Davenport http://www.johnweeks.com/river_mississippi/pagesB/umissB04.html
most dźwigarowy - girder bridge
poziomy element konstrukcyjny podtrzymujący stropy, mosty itp.
Hennepin Canal http://www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r1/hennpin.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hennepin_Canal_Parkway_State_Park
najkonkretniejsze: http://illinois.outfitters.com/illinois/bureau/canal.html
Directions to the Visitor Center
The Hennepin Canal Parkway basically parallels I-80 in Bureau and Henry counties in west central Illinois. The Parkway's Visitor Center is one mile south of I-80, just west of Route 40. East or westbound travelers on I-80 should take Exit 45, turn right (south) on Route 40. They almost immediately cross the Canal and in about 1 mile is the brown sign directing them to the Parkway Visitors Center. Turn right (west) and proceed to the Center.
śluza w Geneseo (Grange Rd)
most przy parku stanowym
Początek kanału: Second Street & Emmons Ave in Rock Falls - tama na sinnissippi
The Hennepin canal was first conceived in 1834 as a connection between the Illinois and Mississippi River, but financial problems in the state delayed many public works projects. Pressure for transportation that was cheaper than rail convinced Congress to authorize preliminary surveys on the project in 1871. Construction began in 1892 and the first boat went through in 1907, reducing the distance from Chicago to Rock Island by 419 miles (674 km). While the canal was under construction, however, the Corps of Engineers undertook a widening of the locks on both the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The new locks on those rivers were twenty and forty feet wider than the canal locks, making them obsolete before their initial use.
In the 1930s the Hennepin Canal was used primarily for recreational traffic. The Hennepin Canal, which at one time was known as the Illinois and Mississippi Canal, was open to boat traffic until 1951 at no cost. Ice made from the canal's frozen waters was sold during the winters to help pay the canal's maintenance costs.
The Hennepin was the first American canal built of concrete without stone cut facings. Although the Hennepin enjoyed only limited success as a waterway, engineering innovations used in its construction were a bonus to the construction industry. The canal was used as a training ground for engineers that later worked on the Panama Canal.[2] Both the Hennepin and Panama Canals used concrete lock chambers and both used a feeder canal from a man made lake to water the canals because both needed water to flow ‘uphill.’
There are 33 locks on the canal. All are now visible, but the first one, on the Illinois River, had been under water from the 1930s until recent times. Lock #1 is only accessible on foot during the winter months; thick vegetation, the lack of a maintained towpath, and nearby private property prevent access during the summer.
Fourteen of the locks had Marshall gates, which are unique to the Hennepin, and were raised and lowered on a horizontal axis. Five of the locks have been restored to working condition, although they are not used. One of these is a Marshall Gate lock. All of the gates from the remaining locks have been replaced with concrete walls, creating a series of waterfalls.
The Hennepin originally had nine aqueducts – concrete troughs which carried the canal and its traffic across larger rivers and streams. Six of the aqueducts remain while the other three were replaced by pipes that carry the flow under the creek or river which the canal crossed.
The Hennepin Canal follows a natural low area between Hennepin and Rock Island. This is actually the ancient channel of the Mississippi River, which at one time flowed from Rock Island to Hennepin, and then south through what is now the Illinois River channel. The Illinoian Stage, about 300,000 to 132,000 years before present, blocked the Mississippi River near Rock Island, diverting the Mississippi into its modern channel.
The Hennepin Canal was built in order to lower freight prices. Local and government supporters struggled to get it built.
The idea to build the canal arose in 1834 (Sage 1). It would allow the shipping of heavy and bulky freight where the railroad could not. The proposed canal would join the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers creating a quick route from Chicago to the Mississippi River. To build the canal would mean that local citizens would have to gain the support of their state and other beneficial government officials (Yeater 2).
The canal reduced the distance from the Illinois River to the Mississippi by 419 miles (674 km). Interest in the project increased during the Civil War, when relations between the Union and the UK were deteriorating to the point where war was possible. If this happened, the St. Lawrence River and Welland Canal would be closed to U.S. ships, and people from the Great Lakes area could not compete in eastern markets. Because war did not occur, many of those who initially supported the project soon lost interest (Yeater 2).
Sketch of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the proposed Hennepin Canal, showing their relations to the Illinois River, Mississippi River, and Lake Michigan, 1883, in the collection of the National Archives and Records Administration
The state of Illinois would not allow the canal to be constructed out of its funds; therefore, during the remainder of the 1860s, several legislatures, most notably 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 160 feet (49 m) wide and 7 feet (2.1 m) in depth, with 320-by-70-foot (98 by 21 m) 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 1.75 miles (2.82 km) 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 start the first five miles (Bastian 3).
Although the canal planning was complete, there still were problems. The planning of the feeder canal still remained. Only one thing was certain; the feeder would tap the water at the Rock River. The river's water would then flow into the main canal. But where should the feeder be constructed (Yeater 4)? The initial suggestion was to place the feeder at Dixon. The citizens of Rock Falls and neighboring Sterling were informed that the War Department would make a decision of the length, cost, and route. As a result, area people began to raise funds (Bastian 138). As these actions were taking place, C.C. Johnson, minority leader of legislature, and C. L. Sheldon went to Washington, D.C., to discuss the matter with Honorable Redfield Potter, Secretary of War. When they returned, a survey was made that showed that the tapping of the river at Rock Falls would be eleven miles (18 km) shorter and cheaper than tapping at Dixon would be; government officials checked figures, and the decision was made to build at Rock Falls (Hennepin Canal Feeder).
The Hennepin Canal construction project began on September 19, 1890. When construction started, the estimated cost of the project was $6,925,900 (Yeater 5). Now that the planning had been approved, construction must be started; however, unlike many American canals, the Hennepin Canal was constructed after railroads came into being. Consequently, eight bridges had to be built. In addition to the railroad bridges, sixty-seven highway bridges had to be constructed too, thus creating delays (Bastian 138).
The commanding engineer asked the Secretary of War to use concrete for the locks. This request was strange because all locks in that time period were made from cut stone. On May 11, 1891, regardless of what locks were made of in the past, the Secretary of War granted permission to use concrete. Because concrete cost fifty percent less than cut stone masonry, a five-foot width increase would be added to plans (Yeater 5).
After the setbacks, the canal construction continued promptly; however, it did not continue uninterrupted. Workers discovered three miles (5 km) of peat bog; therefore, the bed of the canal was lined with clay to prevent water loss. In 1894, the construction on the eastern half began. This section was the most difficult because the canal ascends 196 feet (60 m) from the sea level, thus requiring 21 locks to regulate the water. There were 32 locks on the mainline (Yeater 5). All locks measure 170 by 35 feet (52 by 11 m) and were capable of passing barges 140 feet (42.7 m) long. The average barge was twice that size and drew too much water for the six-foot-deep canal (“Builder Tells Early Days of Hennepin Canal” 2). On the feeder canal, there was only one lock, called the guard lock, which was constructed to protect the canal from high river water. All thirty-three locks were manually operated (Yeater 5).
On December 6, 1906, the Sterling Hydraulic Company agreed on the original plan to construct the dam at the foot of Tenth Avenue, Rock Falls (Hennepin Canal Feeder). By 1907, the dam was the only major project left on the canal. The stone excavated from Mile One of the feeder was used to build the dam (Bastian 138). To enclose the construction site, the coffer dam was built (The Hennepin Canal). Twenty-five locks were assembled and riveted. When the dam was finished, it was 1,335 feet (407 m) long (Bastian 140). The dam made the water rise 11 feet 6 inches (3.51 m) above normal level. This led to the covering of 1,936 acres (783 ha) of land. Water backed up all the way to Dixon. Many small islands remain submerged. After the completion of the canal in 1907, the feeder canal runs almost due south for 29.3 miles (47.2 km). The main canal runs 75 miles (Hennepin Canal Feeder).
One of the greatest crowds ever to gather in Rock Falls happened on October 24, 1907. A two and a half mile street parade in the morning was followed in the afternoon by a parade of boats from Rock Falls, Sterling, and Dixon (Hennepin Canal Feeder). When the canal was finished on October 21, 1907, the Corps of Engineers could not wait until spring for the first boat to pass down the canal. The first steamer to use the canal was the SS Marion, carrying government officials. This was the first boat to travel the entire length of the canal. The boat left on November 8 and returned on the November 15th. The canal was not completely filled, so each section's water had to be moved with the locks for the boat to pass. The boat had to be equipped with iron guards to break the formed ice. When it reached Lock 28, it had to push the lock open. When the boat reached the last five miles (8 km) of her journey, there was still a problem with the amount of water. There was too much water, and it could not pass under the Rock Island Bridge. As a result, the first people the sailors found were asked to come aboard to make the ship sink slightly (Yeater 6). Guests at the opening ceremony included Governor Charles S. Deneen, former Minnesota Governor Samuel R. Van Sant, who was born at Rock Island, and Congressman Frank Orren Lowden. Miss Grace Wheeler, the daughter of the chief engineer, opened the gates for the first time (Hennepin Canal Feeder).
The early years were difficult because 1930 marked the beginning of the Great Depression. The Depression affected local businessmen and residents. In that year, overall tonnage on the canal decreased by 40 percent, and only 18,142 tons were transported (Yeater 9). A telephone system was built by the Corps of Engineers so that a lockman could be advised in advance when a boat was coming through the locks. There were 750-pound poles spanning across 104 miles (167 km) of the canal. Some of these poles remain standing today (Yeater 10).
The canal was not only a route to transport coal, salt, grain, gravel, iron, steel, and many other crops and minerals, but it was a place for recreation as well. Family and friends would participate in picnics, swimming, and most noteworthy, fishing. Fish caught in the Hennepin Canal still hold Illinois records. Swimming was also popular, so popular, in fact, that the local YMCAs held swimming classes in the canal (Yeater 11).
The Corps of Engineers employed fifty men full-time, year-round to operate and maintain the canal. The Corps divided the canal into sections. Each section had a lockman and/or a patrolman. Some of their tasks included patrolling banks, repairing breaks, operating the locks, servicing phone systems, etc. The lockmen and patrolmen were provided houses, barns, warehouses, sheds, and workshops. All of the houses had concrete walks and many other concrete things. The houses were never wired with electricity and did not have indoor plumbing. Every lockman and patrolman had a house but one. He did, however, have a houseboat (Yeater 11).
Although the canal was not as successful as planned, some good came from it. In 1920, Ray Mechling and Fred Wolf of Rock Falls began a barge line. The canal required smaller barges so the two bought a steam boat and began erecting barges. They bought gravel and transported it to people who were interested in buying some. Besides gravel, they shipped steel and coal for the International Harvester Company (Yeater 12).
Traffic on the canal was never heavy, and critics complained that it was obsolete when it was constructed and that it was too small and only fit for the early days of canaling. One local man stated, “It was a source of frustration and ultimately a failure”.[4] Many have said if the canal had been constructed in the 1830s, 1840s, 1850s or even the 1860s, as it was originally suggested, the canal would have had greater economic potential. The canal was intended to connect the Upper Mississippi River Valley with the Atlantic Ocean; however, it did not (Yeater 12). However, the canal did give farmers relief from railroad prices (Builder Tells Early Days of Canal). In 1948, there was no reported traffic (Bastian 142). From the frustration came anger. This anger was, as many people would say, coming from the bad deterioration that the canal was suffering. It would cost $12,000,000 to make the canal bigger and deeper and make the locks larger (Yeater 12). Consequently, on April 7, 1948, the Corps of Engineers issued a “navigation notice” that put the canal on a limited service basis. All the chaos led to the suspension of all lock operations and nonessential maintenance in 1951 (Yeater 12). Legislators in Washington, D.C. and in Springfield were getting innumerable amounts of letters and petitions from Illinois citizens and conservationists. These groups organized campaigns with “Save the Canal” as their theme. The legislators of Illinois began to plan to take over the canal for recreation use. On August 1, 1970, full ownership was given to the state of Illinois to use the waterway as a place for recreations under the jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation. Bud Stigall stated that in 1970, it would cost 22 million dollars to get the canal in shape.
Today the canal is used for recreational purposes. A trail along the canal allows people to walk, jog, or bike down the canal. However most of the trail is not paved (many areas are gravel), making it impractical for most cyclists, especially those using a road bike. During the winter months, the trail is heavily used for snowmobiling. Fishing is also popular; however, swimming is prohibited. From its inception in 1834 to its closure in 1951, the canal served as both a waterway and a place for recreation.
