The Fox River

September 9, 2008

This video inaugurates a projected five part series on the Fox River in Wisconsin. I had originally thought I could cover the river in a single 10 minute video, but I ended up spending my entire first day filming just the short section from Neenah up to the point where the river nears Appleton. The series will eventually include the following five parts:

1) Neenah and Menasha (industry)
2) Appleton (river as scenery for development)
3) Heart of the Valley (locks and early transportation)
4) undeveloped stretch (natural world)
5) De Pere and Green Bay (more industry)

A river makes for an unexpected approach to contemporary culture. Roads and cars provide us with the usual points of view on our world. The river is often mere postcard view, looked down upon from above. But to take the river as a vantage point may let us see more clearly the values and assumptions embedded in our culture.

The Fox River also bears witness to past versions of these cities in the Fox Valley. It was once the highway, the industrial center, and the source of power. The remnants of those past versions are still present in or around the river, even if only in concrete piles, worn industrial buildings, and rarely used locks.