This canal originally had the name of the Illinois and Mississippi Canal. It was renamed in the 1960s.
This canal was not made obsolete by a railroad. Instead, it was built to relieve the price gouging by the Rock Island Railroad. [BridgeHunter, which got its information from friends]
"There are 33 locks on the canal. Thirty-two are still visible. The first one, on the Illinois River, has been under water since the 1930’s. Fourteen of the locks had Marshall gates, which are unique to the Hennepin, and are raised and lowered on a horizontal axis, much like a rural mailbox. 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. Today, six remain the other three are replaced by pipes that carry the canal flow under the creek or river the aqueduct crossed over." [friends]
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| Diagram via jwn |
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| ripco The canal is mainly a perched or diked canal, with embankments on each side and a clay liner to hold the water in. |
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| Friends of the Hennepin Canal posted Did you Know? According to multiple sources, the Hennepin Canal's former name was the Illinois and Mississippi Canal. The main canal length is 75.2 miles (121.0 km), and its feeder canal is 29.3 miles (47.2 km) long. The state park spans five counties (Rock Island, Bureau, Henry, Lee and Whiteside) and is 104.5 miles (168.2 km) long. (Facts from Wikipedia. Image from Tampico Historical Society.) Be sure to come explore what this recreational trail has to offer, even in the winter months! Tom Winkle: I worked a total of forty one years on the Mississippi River system. One of the captains that I worked with when I started out had moved freight as a youngster on the Illinois and Mississippi. His older brother owned a small towboat, and he was contracted to pick up iron and steel ingots at Wisconsin Steel on the Calumet River, and deliver it to the International Harvester factory in the Quad Cities. [Tractors and/or Combines] Their tow was four 26' wide barges. Red said that they used to barter with the farmers along the canal for milk and butter. World War 2 ended his time on the canal when he was drafted into the Navy. |
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| Chuck Edmonson posted It was a plan first proposed in the 1830s as the Illinois & Mississippi Canal, however financial setbacks would see the plan tabled for over a half a century. A direct and quick route from the Illinois to the Mississippi heading more or less due west to be named the Hennepin Canal. Finally in 1892 construction would begin on the 104 mile route that would include 33 locks. Construction would take 15 years to accomplish, even in an age when railroads were rapidly crisscrossing Illinois, but it as hoped it would offer a cheaper means of transport to and from the Mississippi for bulk materials. Although it would see a fair amount of shipping, by 1934 more than 300K tons of material moved through it, widening of the locks on the Illinois beginning in 1935 would allow larger barges with bigger capacities. It would teeter on until 1951 when closed to commercial traffic. In 1970 the state would begin to turn it into the Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, spanning five counties with more than 150 miles of scenic hiking trails and recreation. Here on Nov. 16, 1907 we see the SS Marion at Tampico, the first vessel to sail the length of the canal as part of the ceremony of the official opening. David Henson: If this picture is near Tampico, it would be on the feeder canal that runs from the Rock River near Rock Falls down to the Hennepin not the canal itself. |
The feeder canal still has water.
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| Street View, Jun 2023 |
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| Friends of the Hennepin Canal posted Check out this interactive map of the Hennepin Canal State Park Trail we found at Plan every aspect of your trip to explore the Hennepin Canal in 2024! |
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| East Map via Friends via BureauCounty |
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| West Map via Friends via BureauCounty |
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| North Map via Friends via BureauCounty |
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Chuck Edmonson posted three photos with the comment:
As far back as 1834 the idea of the Hennepin Canal was first proposed providing a shorter northern link from the Illinois River to the Mississippi near the Quad Cities, a route that would cut literally hundred of miles off the route of barge traffic to the Mississippi.Sadly it would be some 60 years later before construction would actual begin in 1892. Another 3 years would go by before it actually opened to traffic on April 17, 1895 from a point near Rock River Falls. By this point in time it was already somewhat obsolete as during the ensuing period railroad service across the state had blossomed into a dependable and cheap mode of transportation.Officially closed to commercial traffic in 1951 the canal and tow paths are now maintained by the Illinois DNR as a nature trail, a great place for a spring hike as well as limited kayak and canoe use. Most of the old locks are still present, although unused and a couple unique old 'farmer's bridges' survive.
[It is a shame that he did not identify the location of the photos.]
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