Steamboats

Early on, the rivers were the logical and most convenient means for moving people and goods across country.  However, many places along the river contained a drop where a rapids prevented boats from continuing on.  The boats had to be unloaded, with the cargo and boats portaged, or carried over land past the rapids, and then re-launched.  This proved to be a major inconvenience, costly in time and money.  The Fox River drops a total of 170 feet between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay, but with the development of the locks system in the 1850s and 60s, this made movement along the Fox River much easier and led to a golden age of steamboat travel.

“The Fox”(pictured) was built in 1892 and operated through 1900. This vessel is representative of the type of steamboat traveling up and down the Fox River and Lake Winnebago.