Background Information

The Fox River is a very fast-moving river, which drops a total of 170 ft. between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay.  In the days before good roads, railroads, or air travel, rivers provided a convenient way to move people and products across the landscape.  However, at the places in the river where there was a drop, rapids prevented boats from continuing on.  The boats had to be unloaded, and the cargo and boats portaged, or carried over land past the rapids, and then re-launched.  MORE

Advertisement for The Green Bay & Mississippi Canal Company, 1879

Photograph of Irish and German Work Crews building a canal on the Fox River

Newspaper article "Appleton, A Thriving Wisconsin City," Appleton Crescent, February 9, 1867

Newspaper article "The Improvement Company," Appleton Crescent, July 8, 1854

Newspaper article "A New Daily Steamboat Line," Appleton Crescent, July 30, 1859

Activity #2: Powered By Water

Activity #3: A Canal Worker's Life