Lawson's Canal Revisited

The body of water out of the north branch of the Fox River just west of the street known as Riverway in Menasha is the Lawson Canal. It runs behind the former Banta Company and continues on south to the old Gilbert Paper Company.  It was constructed in 1882 by P.V. Lawson- mayor, attorney, businessman, and city leader. 

We first acknowledged this canal in May of 2012 on the blog where we described it: "... its purpose was to add eighteen new power sites.   It was to be about 2,000 feet long and 200 feet wide and of the uniform depth of four feet below the bottom of the river to the north."

This colorized postcard from the early 1900's makes an idyllic scene.