Williams-—The Passing of An Historic Waterway. 139 
answered: “Three; twice for small launches from Sauk whose 
occupants were going up into the lake to hunt for ducks and once 
for two new houseboats that were made in Oshkosh for use on the 
Mississippi River.” 33 
Although the causes for the decline of this water way are many, 
a few may be mentioned: 1. The shallow depth of most of the 
channel. This applies to the Upper Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. 
2. The crookedness of the Upper Fox. The devious, winding, 
obscure course of this part of the river discouraged and perplexed 
even the early canoeist. 
3. The closing of the waterway by ice from three to five months 
each year. This required the development of some other means of 
transportation which could he used the whole year unless there is a 
very great advantage in water transportation during the summer 
months. 
4. The direction or trend of the waterway is against it for 
present day commerce. It extends northeast—southwest while the 
principal trend of trade for all territory north and west of Chicago 
is northwest—southeast. During the present difficulties of railway 
transportation it has been proposed that a line of barges be estab¬ 
lished on the Fox River. This has met with but small encourage¬ 
ment, largely because of the reason just given. 
5. The slowness of the waterway—its use for passengers especi¬ 
ally was possible only before other means of transportation were 
developed. 
6. The extremely poor natural facilities of the Wisconsin River 
for navigation. This has been touched upon several times in this 
article but deserves emphasis. Few writers point out the detri¬ 
mental effects which the Wisconsin River had on the attempt at 
Fox-Wisconsin improvement. True, there have been other influ¬ 
ences that have been more potent in taking away the trade of this 
highway, but if the Wisconsin River had been navigable in the 
’50’s and ’60’s when the agitation and interest were highest, a 
traffic would have been established which would have continued 
for some time in spite of outside competition. It is a long step 
from one of the most perfect natural canoe routes to an even 
passable steamboat channel. 
7. The chief cause of decline was the competition of other means 
of transportation, to a small extent roads, but principally rail- 
33 Greene, Kenneth, Personal Communication. 
