Des Moines River Locks No. 5 And No. 7
Lock No. 5 was begun in 1849 and completed in 1852. It was built by Meeks and Sons from Bonaparte. Beginning at the lower end, the remnants of this structure include 90 feet (27 m) of the outside wall and 120 feet (37 m) of the inside wall. They are both 3.5 feet (1.1 m) to 5.5 feet (1.7 m) thick. The recesses for the lower gates are still visible, as are some of the iron rings that were used to tie boats to the sides. At a later date, stone from the side walls was used to create a third wall across the lower end of the lock in an attempt to stabilize the structure. The lock itself is now silted in. Lock No. 7 was begun circa 1851 and was not completed until 1856 because of major structural problems. Keosauqua contractor Bonney and Whittelsey was responsible for its construction. Only one wall, 160 feet (49 m) long and 5 feet (1.5 m) wide, remains from what was the landside wall. It is surrounded by a farm field and a grove of trees about 30 feet (9.1 m) from the river bank. The walls for both locks are composed of large blocks of locally quarried limestone that are set on a foundation of limestone bedrock. The locks were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. In 1989 Lock No. 5 was included as a contributing property in the Bonaparte Historic Riverfront District.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Hans Muessig. "Des Moines River Locks No. 5 and No. 7". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-05-11. with photos
- ^ Molly Myers Naumann. "Bonaparte Historic Riverfront District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-05-11.