Following appeared in the Daily Gazette in 1979
Retrieved by Dana Fellows ~ 2011 and Transcribed by Caitlyn Fellows ~ 2011
Early Northwestern Wheels Turned By River Power
Because the Dillon family had established itself so firmly in Ohio in pioneer days it is only natural to wonder what drew one branch of the family to the Rock River Valley in Illinois half a century later.
It in part, can be explained by the sudden spurt in growth taking place all along the Rock River at that time in history. From Rockford to Rock Island, much was happening to attract settlers to this area. Following the close of the Black Hawk War in 1822, when the Indians of northwestern Illinois had been moved west of the Mississippi River, settlements sprang up all along the Rock River, but it wasn’t until the 1850’s that rapid growth occurred in this area.
As early as 1854, Dixon had two major railroads entering the city, the Illinois Central Railroad which ran north and south, and the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad Company, today known (1979) as the Chicago and Northwestern Transportation Company. The next year the GACU Railroad extended to Sterling and Morrison, and in 1856, the rails were extended all the way to the Mississippi River at Fulton.
This excellent railroad service connected with Chicago, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Rock River and the Mississippi River.
Rock River Power
From the time the white man came to this area, it was felt that the Rock River provided great possibilities for water power, and it was soon developed at all the larger settlements in the valley.
On February18, 1847, the Illinois General Assembly approved the formation of a corporation to be known as “The Sterling Hydraulic and Manufacturing Company” with the authority to erect a dam across the Rock River, at, or near the foot of the rapids in said river, at Sterling, in the county of Whiteside.
The said corporation shall be the sole owners and proprietors of the water power to be created and produced by reason of the dam aforesaid.
On Feb. 5th, 1849, the General Assembly approved a general act, “for the improvement of the navigation of Rock Falls, and for the production of hydraulic power.” Under these two acts, a corporation was formed and the dam built at Sterling. It was completed soon after the arrival of the first Galena and Chicago Union Railroad train in Sterling in July, 1855.
By 1872, the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad had made connection with Sterling and Rock Falls.
In the late 1800’s, Sterling showed a population growth from 1741 to 5087. In 1867, a new town, to be called Rock Falls, was laid out at the south end of the Sterling dam. Only the river separated the two towns.
In a short time they developed into two industrial sites, sharing the abundant water power of the Sterling Hydraulic Company. The stage was now set for the rapid, sold and closely knit industrial development of Sterling and Rock falls.
Water power played an important role in the industrial development of Sterling and Rock Falls, and in particular in the Northwestern Barb Wire Company.
In the early days there were about 25 water wheels on the Sterling Rock Falls races, located at the north and south ends of the 940-foot dam of the Sterling Hydraulic Company. The dam had a fall of eight feet and six inches, which produced approximately 4000 mechanical horsepower. Of this total, Northwestern in its original plant on the Rock Falls race used two wheels, producing over 200 horse-power.
The Dillon-Griswold mill in Sterling race used five wheels, producing nearly 1300 horse-power, by far the largest operation in the twin cities.
In time, the water power was converted to electricity, resulting in a substantial increase in the power produced and used.
Low Water Level
Another fact is noted about the early days concerning water power from the Rock River. Because of low water levels at time, the Rock River sometimes failed to produce all the local power needed and industries such as the Northwestern Barb Wire Company carried auxiliary power produces by huge steam boilers. It should be also noted that though the river no longer produces the power for Northwestern, it does supply thousands of gallon of water per minute used for cooling operations, which of course, is returned, clean, to the river.
Soon after 1910, a second dam was constructed one-half mile upstream from the old dam, in connections with completion of the Illinois-Mississippi Feeder Canal witch starts at the point.
This second dam powered twelve wheels at 250 horse-power each, to be converted into electricity, giving the twin cities water power close to 8000 horsepower from industry from the two dams combined.
Eventually the Illinois Northern Utilities Company bought out the local power interests and supplied electricity for local industry.
By 1972, all local productions of electricity had ceased and Commonwealth Edison Company (successor to the Illinois Northern Utilities Company) supplied the county with electricity produced elsewhere.
The two power dams still stand and speak of a day when the Rock River turned the wheels of industry in the Sterling-Rock falls Community.
Today, the Northwestern Steel and Wire Company, for the most part, receives power for its Sterling and Rock Falls plant’s directly from the Commonwealth Edison company atomic energy station in Cordova, Ill.
The Northwestern Steel and Wire Company today is rated the largest customer user of electricity in Northern Illinois.