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Property Location
| Location (Address) | RIVER ST |
|---|---|
| County | Outagamie |
| City/Village | Little Chute |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1880 |
|---|---|
| Additions | |
| Survey Date | 1988 |
| Historic Use | dam/lock |
| Architectural Style | NA (unknown or not a building) |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Limestone |
| Architect | |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments |
A 'site file' titled Little Chute Locks and Canal Historic District exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. Photo Code: FCS 5/21. The present lock, which is oriented generally on a WNW/ESE axis, and was built in 1880 to replace composite locks at Little Chute 1 and 2. The 144.2 by 35 foot lock chamber and adjoining wingwalls are comprised of quarried limestone blocks, the sides of which are capped with quarried stone coping and a pipe railing. Each of the four lock gates is constructed of squared wooden timbers that are laid horizontally atop one naother andjoined with structural ties. Adjacent to each gate is a concrete platform thatc ontains a tripod. A vertical shaft extends the height of the tripod. A handle is fixed to the top of the shaft, while the bottom of the shaft contains a gear that drives a horizontally placed spar, the end of which is attached to a lock gate. (It is a horizontal rack and pinion system). Depending on which way the handle is turned, the spar is either taken in, thus opening the lock gate, or it is pushed out, in which case the gate closes. The chamber is flooded by three butterfly valves that are set in the floor of the lock, immediately upstream from the structure. As the valves are opened, water passes down into a culvert with a 90 degree turn, which then directs it under the upstream sill and straight into the chamber. Each valve is adjusted by a geared mechanism that sits on the lock's coping. A metal shaft connects the valve to the adjusting mechanism, all three of which are placed in line adjacent to the southwest corner of the lock. The chamber is discharged through six small butterfly valves found at the bottom of thetwo downstream gates. There are three valves per gate. These valves are operated by the levers atop each gate. The gates contain a cat-walk that facilitates moving from one side of teh lock to the other. The lock provides 13.6 feet of loft as it moves crafts from the 688.80 feet above sea level upper pool to the 675.3 feet above sea level lower pool. It can be filled in six minutes and 38 seconds, and be discharged in three minutes and twenty-eight seconds. It should be noted that this lock is unique in that virtually the entire structure is above ground. One has the ability, therefore, to observe the stonework of the lock chaber, as well as the stonework on the exterior of the structure. A related structure is the Lock Shack. |
| Bibliographic References | (A) Annual Report Upon the Improvement of the Harbors of Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, and Waukegan, Lake Michigan, and Improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, in charge of D.c. Houston, Major of Engineers, Bvt. Colonel, U.S.A.; Being Appendix DD of the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1880 (Washington, D.C.; Government Printing Office, 1880) 1970-1971. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Little Chute Locks and Canal Historic District |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Dec 07, 1993 |
| State Register Listing Date | Apr 10, 1992 |
| Contributing | Yes |
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
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Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
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