Davis Island (Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
Davis Island is a small island
located on the Ohio River
in Stowe Township, just upstream of Neville Island
near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, USA.
The island was home to the Davis Island Lock and Dam from 1878 to 1922, constructed by William Emery Merrill
.The Davis Island Lock and Dam was the first dam that was constructed on the Ohio River. It officially openened on October 7, 1885 with a large dedication ceremony. The Davis Island Dam was the largest Chanoine dam built in the 19th century, and one of the first concrete structures built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Davis Island Dam was the first of 51 Chanoine type dams that were built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1878 and 1929. The dam was dismantled in 1922 when it was replaced by the Emsworth
Locks and Dam less than a mile downstream of the original site.
It is now owned by the West View Water Authority and is used primarily to pump water from the Ohio River, which then goes on to be purified and is used by the surrounding communities for drinking.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
located on the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
in Stowe Township, just upstream of Neville Island
Neville Township, Pennsylvania
Neville Township, also known as Neville Island, is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. The entire township is located on Neville Island, which is an island on the Ohio River...
near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, USA.
The island was home to the Davis Island Lock and Dam from 1878 to 1922, constructed by William Emery Merrill
William Emery Merrill
William Emery Merrill was an American soldier and military engineer. He was born at Fort Howard, Wisconsin, USA, graduated first in his class at West Point in 1859, and from September, 1860, to July, 1861, was assistant professor of engineering there.In the Civil War, he served as assistant...
.The Davis Island Lock and Dam was the first dam that was constructed on the Ohio River. It officially openened on October 7, 1885 with a large dedication ceremony. The Davis Island Dam was the largest Chanoine dam built in the 19th century, and one of the first concrete structures built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Davis Island Dam was the first of 51 Chanoine type dams that were built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1878 and 1929. The dam was dismantled in 1922 when it was replaced by the Emsworth
Emsworth, Pennsylvania
Emsworth is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. The population was 2,449 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Emsworth is located at ....
Locks and Dam less than a mile downstream of the original site.
It is now owned by the West View Water Authority and is used primarily to pump water from the Ohio River, which then goes on to be purified and is used by the surrounding communities for drinking.
External links
- ASCE History and Heritage of Civil Engineering
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District
- The Davis Island Lock and Dam 1870-1922 Leland R. Johnson; U.S. Army Engineer District Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1985.