A Water-Powered Mill on the Fox River

Before electric motors became common, flowing water could do heavy work. In Appleton, Wisconsin, people used the power of the Fox River to operate mills. The river’s drop in elevation made it a valuable source of energy for the growing community.

Imagine a small historic mill beside the river. Water is guided toward a wheel or turbine, a machine with blades that turn as water passes through them. The moving water pushes the blades, making a shaft spin. Inside the mill, gears carry that turning motion to machines that perform useful work.

Different mills produced different goods. A flour mill could use turning millstones to grind grain into flour. A sawmill could use water power to drive a saw through logs. Appleton became especially known for its paper industry, which also benefited from the Fox River’s power and water.

Mill workers had to pay close attention to the water supply and the machinery. Too little flow could slow the equipment. Gears and other moving parts needed care, and working near them could be dangerous. Dams and channels helped direct and control water, but they also changed the river and affected fish and other living things.

Today, a mill’s simple chain of motion still offers a powerful idea: flowing water can transfer energy to machinery. In modern hydroelectric plants, moving water turns turbines connected to generators, which produce electricity. The equipment has changed, but the river remains a source of energy.