Pilgrims and Pioneers: Hennepin Feeder Canal- Opening Day 1907

Welcome To Pilgrims and Pioneers!

After many years of researching my family geneaology I have been lucky enough to discover actual information about my relatives that lived in the Pilgrim Era and the Pioneer Era- while many people also have realtives from those eras- many do not know their names or where they lived- actually seeing the proof in print makes you much more aware of who they really were.
After discovering these relatives it of course made me curious to learn more about the eras that they lived in and what their lives were like as, the history I learned in grade school had long since been forgotten.
I decided to start this blog for others who are also interested in these eras.
Some of the information here will be actual facts about my realtives and some will be information about the eras in general that I have found on the web.
I hope you will enjoy traveling back in time with me!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Hennepin Feeder Canal- Opening Day 1907

In 1907 The Hennepin Canal (what many referred to as a wide ditch of worthless water) was connected to the Rock River as a means to haul grain and other items back and forth from the larger towns of Sterling and Rock Falls, Il to the smaller town of Tampico about 20 miles away.

This caused great ecxitement in all three towns!

Here is a picture thought to have been taken on the opening day. Note the Gibson Girl hairstyles and vintage clothing.

I am not sure of the date that the canal was closed- I know that my grandfather worked on this very canal in the 1920's -but it does not appear to have been as successful as they had planned on. My Mom's house is not far from the big gates that now keep the Rock River from flowing into the Hennepin Feeder canal.