The first people to travel the Crow River were the Wahpekute (Shooters Among the Leaves) band of the Oceti Sakowin meaning Seven Council Fires, known as the Great Sioux Nation.

In 1853, Wright County was open to white settlement. Trappers, traders, farmers, and shopkeepers began to move into the Big Woods following the Crow River to the area which was to become Delano.

Although the river provided transportation, power and recreation, Delano has had a long history of high water, ice dams and flooding.

The Crow River Bridges provided a important link between settlements on both sides of the river when the water was not low enough to ford.

1868: First wooden bridge was built in Crow River (Delano) by the village, town proprietors and the township.

The first wooden bridge over the Crow River in Delano can be seen in fore front of this photo circa 1868

In 1876 a dam was constructed across the Crow River to work a turbine for the saw and grist mill. Ice broke the dam the next spring and the land south of town was flooded. The dam was abandoned.

Iron Wagon Bridge circa 1889

Major flooding events occured on the Crow River in Delano in 1897, 1916, 1952 and 1957.

1897

1897 When Delano was young the river flowing through it was known as the raging Crow. Since many present day residents can hardly believe the description of the river given by one of the early explorers, “A raging stream flowing between steep, gooseberry bush covered banks,” we present here an early picture of the Crow on the rampage. The picture, sent to us by Adam Horsch, shows the Crow on April 5, 1897. The lumber yard stands on the site of the present power plant. The house pictured is in the same location as the present Oscar Leiter home. The water at the time reached over what today is the state highway, and as can be seen on the wagon wheels was about two feet high at this point. The driver of the wagon was Mr. Cunningham, the Watertown dray man.

(from the Delano Eagle, May 2, 1940)

1916

(from the Delano Eagle, March 30, 1916)

“The river is still rising and the water is higher than for several years. Those who have leisure time find amusement watching the ice go by and speculating on the height to which it will go. The Luce Line bridge at Watertown had been damaged and the old Rockford bridge, we are informed, has been partly swept away.”

1952

1965