Lockington Locks
Encyclopedia
The Lockington Locks are a group of canal locks
on the former Miami and Erie Canal
in Lockington
, Ohio
, United States
. Built beginning in 1833, the locks opened for regular use in 1845. The system consists of seven locks: six together at one end, and a seventh at the southern end. Along with features such as basins to allow canal boats to turn around, the locks stretch for 3.75 miles (6 km) between Lockington in far southern Shelby County
and Washington Township
in far northern Miami County
.
. Lockington was a leading point on the canal: besides its locks, the village is the site of the junction of the canal with Loramie Creek
, which it originally spanned with an aqueduct
, and the village lay at the end of a feeder line that brought large amounts of water from the Lewistown Reservoir
near Ohio's highest point in nearby Logan County
. This small canal was designed to meet the main line at Lockington because the Summit included the canal's highest elevation of 944 feet (287.7 m) above sea level. As canal boats came north to Lockington, they were lifted by 67 feet (20.4 m): Lock 48, 10 feet (3 m); Lock 49, 11 feet (3.4 m); Lock 50, 11 feet (3.4 m); Lock 51, 11 feet (3.4 m); Lock 52, 12 feet (3.7 m); and Lock 53, 12 feet (3.7 m). Boats would typically take several hours to pass through the locks; as a result, the village of Lockington (originally named "Locksport") was founded to provide services to idle boatsmen and passengers. The individual locks at Lockington were constructed of large limestone
blocks weighing as much as 500 pounds (226.8 kg); their floors were wooden, and their gates were made of the wood of the white oak.
into a hiking trail.
, becoming the first location to receive this distinction either in Miami County or in Shelby County. Other canal-related sites in both counties were later added to the Register: the Piqua Historical Area State Memorial and the Twin Arch Stone Culvert in Miami County were listed in 1971 and 1978 respectively, and the Turtle Creek Culvert and Embankment in Shelby County was listed in 1978, although it was removed from the Register just seven years later. The locks qualified for inclusion on the Register both as an important engineering accomplishment and because of their place in the area's history: they were deemed to be significant both in Ohio's history
and in that of the entire country
.
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
on the former Miami and Erie Canal
Miami and Erie Canal
The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal that connected the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio with Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845. It consisted of 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, and 103 canal locks. Each lock measured by and they...
in Lockington
Lockington, Ohio
Lockington is a village in Washington Township, Shelby County, Ohio, United States, along Loramie Creek. The population was 208 at the 2000 census....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built beginning in 1833, the locks opened for regular use in 1845. The system consists of seven locks: six together at one end, and a seventh at the southern end. Along with features such as basins to allow canal boats to turn around, the locks stretch for 3.75 miles (6 km) between Lockington in far southern Shelby County
Shelby County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,910 people, 17,636 households, and 13,085 families residing in the county. The population density was 117 people per square mile . There were 18,682 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
and Washington Township
Washington Township, Miami County, Ohio
Washington Township is one of the twelve townships of Miami County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,803 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
in far northern Miami County
Miami County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 98,868 people, 38,437 households, and 27,943 families residing in the county. The population density was 243 people per square mile . There were 40,554 housing units at an average density of 100 per square mile...
.
Construction
As constructed, the locks were at the southern end of the Loramie Summit, which stretches 21 miles (33.8 km) from Lockington north to New BremenNew Bremen, Ohio
New Bremen is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,909 at of the 2000 census. It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. Lockington was a leading point on the canal: besides its locks, the village is the site of the junction of the canal with Loramie Creek
Loramie Creek
Loramie Creek is a tributary of the Great Miami River in western Ohio in the United States. Via the Great Miami and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
, which it originally spanned with an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
, and the village lay at the end of a feeder line that brought large amounts of water from the Lewistown Reservoir
Indian Lake (Ohio)
Indian Lake is a reservoir in Logan County, western Ohio, in the United States. It is approximately 20 mi southeast of Lima...
near Ohio's highest point in nearby Logan County
Logan County, Ohio
Logan County is a county in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,858. The county seat is Bellefontaine. The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who fought Native Americans in the area....
. This small canal was designed to meet the main line at Lockington because the Summit included the canal's highest elevation of 944 feet (287.7 m) above sea level. As canal boats came north to Lockington, they were lifted by 67 feet (20.4 m): Lock 48, 10 feet (3 m); Lock 49, 11 feet (3.4 m); Lock 50, 11 feet (3.4 m); Lock 51, 11 feet (3.4 m); Lock 52, 12 feet (3.7 m); and Lock 53, 12 feet (3.7 m). Boats would typically take several hours to pass through the locks; as a result, the village of Lockington (originally named "Locksport") was founded to provide services to idle boatsmen and passengers. The individual locks at Lockington were constructed of large limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
blocks weighing as much as 500 pounds (226.8 kg); their floors were wooden, and their gates were made of the wood of the white oak.
Later history
The most prosperous point in the history of Ohio's canal system was reached in 1855. After that year, revenues fell steadily because of competition from railroads; even small communities such as Lockington had train stations, and water sales became the canal's primary revenue stream. Restorations were attempted in the 1900s, but all attempts at refurbishing the system ended after a disastrous 1913 flood that destroyed many of the canal's components and ended all hopes of its future commercial use. Today, the Lockington Locks and the surrounding land are a park, and the only water that flows through the locks is runoff from heavy rains. The countryside surrounding the locks is scenic enough that the future may see the conversion of its towpathTowpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
into a hiking trail.
Recognition
In 1969, the Lockington Locks were listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, becoming the first location to receive this distinction either in Miami County or in Shelby County. Other canal-related sites in both counties were later added to the Register: the Piqua Historical Area State Memorial and the Twin Arch Stone Culvert in Miami County were listed in 1971 and 1978 respectively, and the Turtle Creek Culvert and Embankment in Shelby County was listed in 1978, although it was removed from the Register just seven years later. The locks qualified for inclusion on the Register both as an important engineering accomplishment and because of their place in the area's history: they were deemed to be significant both in Ohio's history
History of Ohio
The history of Ohio includes many thousands of years of human activity. What is now Ohio was probably first settled by Paleo-Indian peoples, who lived in the area as early as 13,000 BCE. Later ancestors of Native Americans were known as the Archaic peoples...
and in that of the entire country
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
.