Three brothers — Frank, Eugene and Charles Josslyn — buy the High Falls
dam site. They want to develop hydroelectric power to serve the city of Oshkosh. The
property is transferred to Northern Hydro Electric Company, a company formed by the
Josslyns.
1908
Northern Hydro Electric Company hires Daniel Mead, a partner in the Madison
engineering firm Mead & Seastone, to design the plant. It is now called the High Falls
Hydro Electric Project. Construction begins.
1910
Construction is completed, and the High Falls hydro begins producing power on August
15. The power is transmitted to Green Bay, where it meets all of the city's needs. Any
surplus power is transmitted to other areas.
1922
WPS acquires the High
Falls hydro in a merger with Northern Hydro Electric Company.
1923
WPS upgrades the hydro's
five generators from 25 cycles to 60 cycles to increase efficiency and production.
1927
WPS builds a barn for the
community of employees who need to live near the hydro. Nine houses are home to the dam
superintendent, dam tender and other dam operators and their families.
1929
WPS creates a fish-rearing
pond south of the west embankment of the hydro.
1936
WPS deeds 3.72 acres to
the local school district for the High Falls Country School.
1950s
WPS leases 100 acres of
land to Marinette County for the Twin Bridge County Park. The park has camp sites, sand
beach areas, playgrounds and picnic areas.
1951
Twin Bridge is built across the Peshtigo River.
1950s-1970s
WPS builds parking areas,
boat ramps, a canoe take-out site and a portage route near the hydro for public use.
1964
The employee community that once surrounded the hydro is no longer needed.
1965
WPS builds a substation
on the west side of the High Falls powerhouse. Until now, the substation was inside the
powerhouse.
1966
WPS upgrades the Hydro
Falls control room.
1986
High Falls Road Bridge is built across the Peshtigo River.
1987
The High Falls Hydroelectric Dam is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places.
