The Locktender's House at Lock 1

The Locktender's House at Lock 1. . , A locktender was a crucial canal employee. Responsible for locking canal boats through quickly and efficiently, a locktender needed the endurance and skills to operate the lock's wickets and gates. Having the tact and good humor to deal with impatiently waiting boat captains made the job easier., A locktender was required to open his lock at 4 a.m. and to close at 10 p.m., a 16-hour day. By necessity, he and his family lived in a small, company-owned house that stood close by., Often wives and children helped out with the lock. Extra money could be made by stabling mules. Fruit, vegetables, milk, cakes, and pies could be sold or traded for some coal off the boat., Abel van Sant was a tender at Lock 1. The story is told that he and his wife had 13 children, and he planted a black willow tree for each of them. "Abel was very able.", Today brown bollards/upright posts mark the approximate location of the corners of the long-gone Locktender's House. None of the black willow trees remain.