The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-08-07
KENOSHA HARBOR
Is ''INADEQUATE'
City PIanner Outlines Flu
ture Development of
Local Port.
MANY POSSIBILITIES


harbor facilities, and in a report just
submitted to the city planning com
mission he outlines great many inn
portant facts interspersed with sever
al excellent and feasible recommends
tions which he offers to the commits
sion for it's consideration in laying
plans for future development of the
city's industrial and Commercial en-
terprises.
"The advent of the St. Lawrence
Deep Waterway will undoubtedly make
of Kenosha a much more important
manufacturing center than it is at this
time" says Bartholomew. ut should
especially become an export point for
a large amount of grain. While other
ports such as Duluth, Milwaukee, Chi
cago and others will always be the
principal export points, nevertheless,
the smaller harbors, especially those
on the west shore Of Lake Michigan,
will all receive a great impetus to
their growth by reason of this new
route to the sea. Kenosha should be
able to support at that time several
flour mills and also grain elevators for
direct loading into boats.
"The city should be distribution
center for fertilizers of all descrip-
tions, the principal ingredients of
which are imported from foreign coun-
tries, more particularly from South
America. Kenosha with other cities
on the west shore of Lake Michigan
Is advantageously located for main
tanning shipyards and it's accessory in
dustries such as woodworking estab-
lishments, ship supply houses, etc.
"Should reliable navigation be es-
tablished between Chicago to the Gulf
Of Mexico by means. Of the proposed
nine-foot channel, Kenosha and other
cities Of the Great Lakes in this dis
trict should be distinctly benefited
providing the waterway is of such ca
pacity that an appreciate amount OF
tonnage can be transported thereby.
Such a waterway would bring our
southern states, South America, Cuba,
West Indies and Mexico in closer con-
tact with the Great Lakes district than
is now possible.
Opens Big Export Field.
"Great quantities of sugar coffee,
molasses, sisal and considerable
amount of ,burlap would find their way
to this district and furnish the incen-
tive for new industries.
"Hides are now shipped from Cali
fornia to Kenosha by way of the Pana-
ma Canal and by rail from New York.
Tonnage extract, used in large guam
titles in Kenosha, is imported from
South America. 1t reaches Milwaukee
by lake and is there transferred to
the railroad and brought to Kenosha
Raw cotton and textiles are examples
of materials used in this city that can
be brought at cheaper rates by water
than by rail- The outgoing tonnage
would consist of machinery, dairy prod
ucts, automobiles and other products
of this district.
Testimony taken by the Senatorial
Investigating committee at st. Louis on
Oct. %, 1928, indicated that coal would
move northward in considerable guam
tity from lower Illinois more particu-
larly from those counties traversed by
the Big Muddy river While this wat
erway is still in the realm of specu-
lation, as is the deepening of the St.
Lawrence river, it is believed that the
city of Kenosha has much to gain If
either project is carried out. The
st. Lawrence waterway, however, of
fers the most economic advantage and
more immediate and positive results.
Outlines Recommendations.
at is premature for the city of Ke-
nosha to invest at this time any great
amount of money in an elaborate plan
for harbor development. 1t is not too
early, however, to consiAer the matter
in it's various phases and to take the
initial steps that will later make COM
prehensive plan possible. The most
important of these is the acquisiting of
riparian rights along the lake shore.
"The port of Kenosha is we'll adapt
ed to handling a packet and passenger
business, and for serving few large
plants that are located Immediately
on the water front 1t is not now nor
can it be easily made into a port for
receiving or shipping large quantities
of material in bulk, such as coal, coke,
grain, pig iron, etc. This is due to
restricted size and to its lack of rail-
road connections. No railroad track
is near enough to the port to affect an
interchange between rail and water,
except the privately OWHSu GGaCh VI
the Simmons company.
Wharves Are Privately Owned.
practically all land bordering the
present harbor adaptable for wharf
purposes is privately owned. The prin-
cipal use made of the harbor is by the
Hill Steamboat line and the Baldwin
Coal company.
"The harbor technically extends UP
stream as far as Grand avenue, but it
is seldom navigated beyond Main street.
Further development beyond Main
street bridge is not to be expected as
the barrier interposed by the crooked
ness of the channel and the Main street
bridge are sufficient to discourage the
entrance of very large vessels.
"Trafic through the port of Keno
sha at present amounts to about $4,000
tons annually and consists of coal, au-
tomobiles and general merchandise.
Navigation is open practically the en-
tire year, which fact is tremendous
help toward maintaining the shipping
business on profitable basis.
Build Harbor at City Limits.
Bearing in mind the necessity for
railroad communication to the port,
and the desirability of its being as
close as possible to the heavy indus
trial district of the CITY. it is recon-