This memory was written by Jane Bouressa Smits, a long-time supporter of the locks and we thank her for sharing it! It is 1960. The bell rings! A boat is coming! Soon lock tender Jack Willey drives down the gravel path behind my house to the Little Chute lock. He is a mentor to my […]
Where else can you spend your summer on the water, be part of living history, and get paid for it? The Fox Locks are hiring for seasonal lock tenders–and since we are the only fully-restored hand-operated lock system in the nation, this is a unique job. The locks are opened and closed using a […]
Another fantastic season for the Fox Locks is in the books! Thank you to all of you who traveled through the locks and every year we hope to make improvements in the experience. Many don’t remember that the locks system has not been in operation since the early 1980s, so an entire generation has grown […]
Many people have asked us for more information on the Fox River Navigational System Authority, so here’s more information on the organization and what we do. What is the Fox River Navigational Authority’s responsiblity? The Fox River Navigational System Authority manages the 17 locks on the Fox River. Of the 17 locks, 16 have been […]
Ten of the lock sites within the Fox River system include dwellings that originally served as homes for the lock master and his family. Several projects are underway to restore these homes and are highlighted below The Little Chute Lock Keeper House Thanks to volunteers from The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway, you can step back into the […]
There are hundreds of historical photos of the Fox River Locks, but only one bit of arcane history in song. “The Locktender’s Lament” has a muddy history, but some records indicate the song had its origins in World War II. It is a bit of lampoon on an English girl who follows an American sailor across the […]