The Shot Tower in Dubuque, Iowa, is one of the last standing shot towers in the United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The tower was built in 1856 to provide lead shot for the military. Molten lead was poured from the top of the tower, where it passed through a grate. The droplets that fell from the grate had relatively uniform size, and the fall provided enough time for the liquid-metal droplet to form into a sphere before landing in the water below. The water cooled the lead to its solid state, retaining the spherical shape.
The development of newer technology for manufacturing amunition made the tower obsolete. It found a new purpose for a while as a fire lookout post to help protect a nearby lumberyard. Fires had severely damaged the city's lumber industry.
The Shot Tower was abandoned as the lumber industry declined, but in 1976 was designated a historic landmark. Today the Shot Tower is part of the ongoing renovations to the riverfront and it still stands as one of the most recognized symbols of the city.
No comments:
Post a Comment