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Highwater Rock

Linn County, Iowa Registered Historic Place stubsNational Register of Historic Places in Cedar Rapids, IowaTransportation on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
High Water Rock, Cedar River, Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA
High Water Rock, Cedar River, Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA

The Highwater Rock is located in the Cedar River near downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It is a large granite boulder in the rapids in the eastern half of the river. Its height depends on the river level. It can be 3 feet (0.91 m) to 4 feet (1.2 m) above the water level in low water, or submerged in high water. It was used to gauge the river depth from the 1840s to the close of river navigation in the mid-1860s. In the early days, people could cross the river at the rapids on horseback, on foot, or by wagon and buggy. They would use the rock to determine if it was safe for them to cross. After David W. King began ferry service in 1848 and a toll bridge was built, people would use the rock to determine if the water was low enough to cross the river and avoid paying the tolls. King would use the rock to determine the amount of cargo he could carry or if he could run the ferry at all. After steam navigation was established on the river the steamer pilots would use the rock to determine if they could continue past the rapids. Railroads severely curtailed the use of steamboats on the Cedar River, and in 1870 the United States Congress declared the river was not navigable above Columbus Junction, which is well below Cedar Rapids. This put an end to water transportation on this part of the river, and the usefulness of the rock. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Highwater Rock (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Highwater Rock
I 380;IA 27, Cedar Rapids

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Wikipedia: Highwater RockContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 41.978611111111 ° E -91.671944444444 °
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Address

I 380;IA 27
52401 Cedar Rapids
Iowa, United States
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High Water Rock, Cedar River, Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA
High Water Rock, Cedar River, Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA
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Nearby Places

West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District
West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District

The West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 10 resources, which included seven contributing buildings and three non-contributing buildings. Cedar Rapids was platted on the east bank of the Cedar River as Rapids City in 1841, and it was incorporated in 1849. Kingston was established on the west bank of the river in 1852, and it was annexed by Cedar Rapids in 1870. The streets were laid out parallel and perpendicular to the river, which flowed from the northwest to the southeast. The Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railway, later the Chicago & North Western Railway, was the prominent railroad on the west side of town. The first bridge across the river at Third Avenue was built in 1871. The current bridge was completed in 1912. Prior to a bridge, Rapid City and Kingston were connected by a ferry operated by David W. King, the founder of Kingston. Initially residential, Third Avenue west of the river became increasingly commercial in the 1880s. The buildings that make up the historic district date from 1909 to 1942, and are representative of the various architectural styles and vernacular building forms that were popular during this time period. Two of the non-contributing buildings are more recent construction, while the third has been significantly altered. The buildings here are one to two stories in height and feature masonry facades, ground-floor storefronts, and uniform alignment that creates a uniform street wall. The buildings have housed a variety of commercial functions that include a bank, retail and wholesale stores, and professional offices. Peoples Savings Bank (1911) is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.