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The Valley of the Lower Fox: historical, descriptive, picturesque
(1887)
A valley of industry, pp. [19]-[26]
Page [19]
a Board of Arbitrators to appraise the property. Tihe Company retained the land grants, water pow- er privileges and other property, and turned the canal over to the Government in consideration of $145,ooo. Since the Government took possession of the route in 1872, about two millions of dol- lars have been expended on the work, and improvements and repairs are continually being made. The new Lawson Canal completed the present year is designed to furnish a large additional amount of power, and is already being utilized for manufacturing purposes. It will be seen from the foregoing account th ut the beginning of improvements along this Val- ley was during the period fron 1848 to 1853. The dam at Neenah was authorized in 1847, which act authorized Harvey Jones, Loyal H. Jones, Harrison Reed, Charles Doty, and Curtis Reed to erect a dam across the channel. By act of March 1848 Curtis Reed and his associates were authorized to construct a dam across the north channel at Menasha. Work, however, along the route was mainly begun in 183o, and progressed during the next two years as already stated. The Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Company still own a large amount of water power along the river. The office is located at Appleton. The President of the company is John Van Nort- wick of Batavia, N. Y; Vice- President, I1. J. Rogers of Applcton; Secretary and Treasurer, Aug. Ledyard Smith, Appleton. A VALLEY OF INDUSTRY. The Valley of the Lower Fox is not merely a region of picturesque and magnificent scenery, but it is emphatically a valley of industry, although in this latter respect it is but in its infancy. Lake Winnebago has two outlets known as the Menasha and Neenah channels of Fox River. The former is ii,8oo feet and the latter 7,500 feet in length. The two channels unite in a beau- tiful little lake known as Little Lake Buttes des Morts. The island thus formed is known as Doty's Island. Lake Winnebago is a body of water 35 miles long and from 9 to 14 miles wide, having an area of not less than 350 square miles. It also is connected with lake Poygan which is about 30 miles in circumference, and with lake Buttes des Morts of somewhat less dimensions. These reser- voirs are so vast in extent that droughts and freshets have but little effect upon them. While other streams are crippled by droughts or rendered furious and dangerous by freshets, the Lower Fox flows ceaselessly on, a faithful servant of the mighty industries along its way. This uniformity makes it a water power that is without equal in the whole country. The total fall from Lake Winnebago to Green Bay is about 170 feet, and the distance thirty- seven and one-half miles. The minimum volume of the Lower Fox is given by Win. Westbrook at 2,320 cubic feet per second. As may be seen froom the tables already given there is a continuous series of water powers from Lake Winnebago to DePere. At Neenah, Menasha, Appleton, Kaukauna and DIePere, the power is employed to a greater or less extent, but a vast amount of power is yet available, while at other points the magnificent powers, now idle are waiting to turn the wheels of industry. At all points there is still room and power for other manufactories. Although mighty manufacturing industries are already firmly planted along the banks of this mag- nificent river, yet this valley, as a manufacturing district, is yet in its infancy. It is not in the nature of things that an inch of this water power will forever remain idle. Even now projects are appearing which indicate that industries will multiply more rapidly in the future than in the past. There is everything to warrant the prediction that the time will come when, from Lake Winnebago to Green Bay, there will be an almost continuous city.
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