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One of the several remaining lift bridges left on the Hennepin Canal in Northern Illinois.Originally conceived in 1831,the canal did not open until 1907.By then railroads were beginning to proliferate and barges were getting bigger,which made the narrow canal almost obsolete by the time it opened. It closed in the early 1950's and later became the largest state park in Illinois.It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Some of the architects who later designed the Panama Canal helped build the Hennepin Canal.

 

More on the canal and its history here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hennepin_Canal_Parkway_State_Park

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Uploaded on February 24, 2015
Taken on January 17, 2015