Fox River Locks Maritime Trails Marker
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Menasha Maritime Trails Marker
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Menasha Maritime Trails Marker
 
Details
Attraction
Location
Body of Water: Fox River
Trail Name: Inland Waterways
Year Built: 2009
Nearest Address: 82 Broad Street
Nearest City: Menasha
County: Winnebago
Zip Code: 54952
Latitude: N 44°12.12648'
Longitude: W -088°27.61440'
Attraction
Features
Open to public?: Yes
Mooring buoy?: No
Mooring buoy in place?: No
Snorkelable?: No
Dive guide?: No
Trails sign?: Yes
National Register?: No
Attraction
Description
The Fox River navigation system has had four different owners since its completion in 1856. The Fox and Wisconsin Improvement company, the builder of the locks, spent more money than it made and went bankrupt in 1866. The company reformed as the Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Company, which sold the locks to the United States Government in 1872. The US Government placed the Army Corps of Engineers in charge of the locks. The Corps immediately surveyed the rivers condition and began to make improvements. By 1910 they rebuilt or repaired most of the locks on the Lower Fox River. Corps workers maintained the locks and dredged the canals to keep navigation on the river safe. By the 1960s commercial boat traffic stopped. More recreational boats passed through the locks each year, but maintaining the system for this purpose was not a priority for the federal government. After the 1987 season, the Corps closed all but three of the Lower Fox locks. Many local people saw the historical importance of the system and believed the locks held economic potential for the area. They fought to reopen the locks. In September 2004 the State of Wisconsin took ownership and created the Fox River Navigational System Authority. Work began in 2006 to make the locks usable for navigation once again. The Menasha lock remained open through the 1980s and 90s when most of the system was closed. As the gateway to Lake Winnebago, it is an important point of passage and heavily used by recreational boaters.
 
Map
 
Nearby
Attractions (2)
Fox River Locks Maritime Trails Marker
Menasha Lock
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