HOW TO BUILD A DAM: THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOCK & DAM #15 AT ROCK ISLAND

Lock & Dam #15 at Rock Island has been here since 1934–over 85 years.  Recently, the library received fascinating video footage that was taken at the time the lock and dam were constructed which we can now share with the public.
In this two part documentary the viewer can follow the progress of the lock & dam’s construction.  Although there is no sound–this is not a ‘talkie’–the video carries the viewer right along with it from beginning of the lock & dam to its completion.  Using the construction methods of the 1920s and early 1930s, we are now able to see how the workers pulled off this amazing feat of building such a durable structure in the middle of the Mississippi River.

The second, shorter video, brings Lock & Dam #15 up to the present day.  How does a river lock actually work?  How can a barge make it through the lock when it is way too long?  Where does the US Army Corps of Engineers fit into the picture?  Why is the system of locks & dams so important to the upper Mississippi River and to Rock Island?

Come, enjoy, and learn about this vital part of the Quad Cities.  Bring the kids.  Everyone will be fascinated with how it all got here and how it all works.