History Kishwaukee River

1 history

1.1 human impact

1.1.1 inhabitants
1.1.2 waste spills , fish kills
1.1.3 colorful past

history
human impact
early inhabitants

the kishwaukee has been used humans thousands of years. native americans first use transport goods trade. name kishwaukee derived potowatomi word meaning river of sycamore. potowatomi used large sycamore trees in river valley dugout canoes. incidentally river demarks northern natural range of sycamore tree.

archaeological data kishwaukee river basin shows region has been continuously inhabited last 12,000 years. total of 560 archaeological sites have been recorded in kishwaukee area , range in age paleo-indian (10,000 bce) post-world war ii industrial period.

it during waning of ice age first native americans began arrive in illinois. settlement naturally migrated along area s rivers , streams , kish no exception. first archaeological investigations of region mound sites. near mouth of kishwaukee, not far rock river valley several mound sites mississippian period, around 900 ce or upper mississippian period around 1400 ce. no archaeological sites have been identified native american period, said around 1650. despite this, known several groups occupied area during time , mascouten in kishwaukee region @ time of first contact europeans, c. 1655. on ensuing 150 years area laid claim various miami-speaking tribes , potawatomi. 1840 native american groups had been moved westward, reservation lands.

waste spills , fish kills

on wednesday april 20, 1988 employees of lincoln land hog farm, north of sycamore, working on pipe on farm s retention pond. berm wall gave way allowing 2 million gallons of hog waste spill kishwaukee river. result, aquatic life downstream utterly vanquished. illinois department of natural resources (idnr) stated 37.2 miles (59.9 km) of river affected , estimated 70,000 fish killed along aquatic plants, insects, clams , crustaceans.

this, not first fish kill along kishwaukee , city of dekalb has been location of more half of fish kills since 1954. of 19 documented fish kills since year, 11 of them have occurred within dekalb city limits. documented fish kill along kishwaukee in 1984. according idoc reports 1984 fish kill , number of others in direct correlation heavy canning activities @ del monte canning facility once operated on taylor street in dekalb. 1984 fish kill affected portion of river bend north of lucinda avenue, near annie s woods lincoln highway. idoc gathered evidence proved faulty pipe @ del monte responsible particular fish kill. del monte cut state check value of lost fish , took steps prevent similar mishap after found out culpable.

a colorful past

the kishwaukee river has been exploited, negatively , positively, humans thousands of years. 1 of more colorful interactions in past occurred in city of dekalb , surrounds story of northern illinois university locating in city.

in 1893 new illinois governor took office, john p. altgeld. altgeld had run on platform included adding more teacher colleges state, in northern illinois. altgeld, democrat, faced considerable opposition plan in republican controlled illinois general assembly. in order spur plan ahead clinton rosette, publisher of local dekalb newspaper began put pressure on altgeld fulfill promises. then, isaac ellwood tossed hat foray. barbed wire baron used influence, republican, press state legislature, bill drafted , introduced build state teacher s college somewhere in northern illinois.

as imagined many communities vying new college after bill became law on may 22, 1895. delegates rockford, freeport, oregon, dixon, fulton , polo began lobbying selection committee new college come towns. every 1 of communities in running new college river town. rockford, oregon , polo each had scenic rock river inticement new college. fulton had mississippi river. dekalb had kishwaukee river, practically creek compared rock and, of course, mississippi. in july 1895 selection committee, included judge a.a. goodrich of chicago, visited each of communities in running.

ellwood noticed how impressed committee rock river arranged dekalb last community visited. selection committee decided take weekend rest , visit dekalb on monday. city had weekend prepare. happened next described deceit, skulduggery, or pulling wool over.

julys in northern illinois hot , dry , kishwaukee river little more trickle @ times, @ least water levels extremely low. dekalb had plan though. residents of city agreed go without water weekend , 2 dams constructed on kishwaukee. every member of community turned out dredge mud in key locations , replace gravel , pebbles.

the selection committee began inspection tour on monday morning. committee , ellwood crossed bridge on became lincoln highway dam released giving impression of full, scenic river. committee crossed bridge lone fisherman in boat near bridge happened catch rather large fish in plain sight of committee. impressed, committee took note of stringer of large fish attached boat. ellwood completed ruse, remarking, kish has provided supply of fish.

of course, other communities trying attract become northern illinois university not impressed. july 1895 editorial in oregon republican complained, fish came unknown, looked haggard , footsore, had tramped long distance. there talk of stocking kish salt-cured cod. stand pressure right in either wet or dry season. committee paid no mind , dekalb accepted finalist host site new college. on july 15 each of finalist communities made pitch goodrich in chicago.

if river not enough other prominent dekalbians offered own incentives college come small city of 5,000. jacob haish offered donate $100,000 college library , ellwood offered $30,000 donation build housing adjacent campus. joseph glidden, of barbed wire barons of dekalb, offered donate 70 acres (280,000 m) of land college. city of dekalb offered sewer, water , road connections.

on oct. 1, 1895 news reached dekalb had been selected site new college. celebration exploded fireworks , factory horns blaring , flags waving every structure.