60 
STATE AGRICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 
from the formation of sand bars, the two piers have recently 
been extended 250 feet beyond the light house. The fact that 
scarcely a day has passed during the present winter that there 
have not been arrivals and departures of steamers plying be¬ 
tween this port and Grand Haven, illustrates very strongly the 
accessible character of the harbor of Milwaukee. 
“ Adjacent to the entrance of the harbor, southward, extends 
the magnificent Kinnickinick basin, a sheet of water upwards 
of a mile in length, and varying from a quarter to three-quar¬ 
ters of a mile wide. The depth of water in this basin varies 
from four to fourteen feet, and its bottom is composed of soft 
black mud or muck, easily dredged or excavated. Efforts 
were made some years ago, to induce the government to ap¬ 
propriate this basin for a naval depot, and although these 
efforts were not successful, it is pretty certain that in case the 
interests*of the nation require the establishment of a naval 
depot upon the lakes, here will be its location. But in any 
event, it is of the first importance to the interests of commerce 
that this splendid basin should ever be preserved for the pur¬ 
pose for which nature so admirably designed it, that of a har¬ 
bor of refuge. A good share of this basin is platted off upon 
the city map in lots that are owned by individuals or corpora¬ 
tions, but it can not very well be of any practical use, except 
for the purposes of navigation, and should congress make any 
provision for its improvement in the interests of navigation 
and commerce, there is little doubt but that the city, and other 
parties interested, would willingly relinquish any titles or 
claims they may have upon it as private property. 
“ The Milwaukee Iron Company have recently purchased 
the strip of land on the east side of the basin, from the point 
indicated as the mouth of the old harbor, southward along the 
lake shore to the rolling mill and blast furnaces, and are en¬ 
gaged in dredging a deep channel from the old river bed to 
their new property, where they propose to construct a thou¬ 
sand feet of dock line for shipping purposes, and connect the 
same by rail with their works at Bay View. 
