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Petition for a Canal
To the Honorable, The Legislative Assembly of Wisconsin
Your Memorialists respectfully represent that from a reconnoisance of the country between the mouth of Milwaukee River and Rock River, at the mouth of the Bark River, by judicious and competent persons it is obvious that the communication between Rock River and the Lake can be opened by means of a Canal not exceeding forty miles in length over a route presenting peculiar facilities, and through a fertile region of country; thus affording facilities for the transit of the heavy commodities of the country along the route, and affording a cheap and easy communication by water from the Lead Mine District on Picatolica, via. Rock River to the Lake. Such an improvement in connection with a Rail-Road would be of incalculable benefit to the whole central portion of Wisconsin, the beneficial influence of which would be felt to the utmost extremes of the Territory, and to considerable portions of Illinois and the territory beyond the Mississippi.
Your Memorialists trust they will not be considered too sanguine when they indulge the belief that the means necessary to execute both these desirable improvements can be obtained, provided your honorable body shall see fit to grant Acts incorporating Companies for them; and they would therefore respectfully, but strongly urge and petition your honorable body to pass an Act incorporating a Company for the purpose of constructing a NAVIGABLE CANAL from "Navigable Water in the Milwaukee River, to Navigable Water in the Rock River," containing such provisions, restrictions and conditions as your honorable body may deem proper, consulting the public interest; affording such privileges as may be properly granted to said company, and which would afford due encouragement to stockholders to engage in the enterprise.
Of the feasibility of this connection we entertain no doubt, and we beg to be excused for urging it again and again upon the attention and full consideration of your honorable body.
And as in duty bound your memorialists will ever pray.
Daniel Wells Jr. A. Sidney Fromer William Campbell W. Whitman Ino P. Shelton James M. [illegible] Elisha Starr Edwin R. Collins Lewis D. Ferrill A.F. Prass Maurice Perley Jac. B Miller Geo B Caulin George Sherman H.N. Wells
