Lowell in Middlesex County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

Working the Water

cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), August 4, 2013

1. Working the Water Marker

Inscription. It took a small army of employees to operate Lowell's canals. Every springtime, they repaired damage caused by the harsh New England winter. In a blacksmith shop near the dam, they straightened iron pins to hold new wooden flashboards atop the masonry dam.

Throughout the year workers regularly cleaned the canals, removing debris before it could jam valuable equipment and impede flow. As winter set in again, they chopped ice to free gates and unclog canals.

Gatekeepers held a special status. Beginning in 1848 and for thirty years, Daniel Brooks lived in the house that you see behind you. In charge of the Pawtucket Gatehouse, Brooks channeled the river into the Northern Canal by manipulating ten large sluice gates powered by the first turbine designed by James B. Francis.

[Captions]
• (Left) The gatekeeper inside the Swamp Locks gatehouse operates flashboards that control the flow of water over the dam, ca. 1950. Lowell National Historical Park
• (Right) The turbine connected to this belt wheel inside the Pawtucket Gatehouse (right) reflected the sophistication of Lowell's canal system completed in 1848. It used the

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power of water to raise and lower gates to the Northern Canal. Library of Congress, HABS/HAER Collection

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1848.

Location. 42° 38.935′ N, 71° 19.806′ W. Marker is in Lowell, Massachusetts, in Middlesex County. It can be reached from School Street north of Pawtucket Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is along the Northern Canal by the Pawtucket Gatehouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 17 School St, Lowell MA 01854, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Boston

and in the Merrimack Valley.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in New England,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Around the Falls

Emw via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), May 19, 2012

2. Working the Water Marker

(approx. 0.2 miles away); Pawtucket Canal (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Great Gate (approx. 0.4 miles away); "Francis’ Folly" (approx. 0.4 miles away); Suffolk Mill (approx. 0.7 miles away); Blending Old and New (approx. 0.7 miles away); Keepers of the Gate (approx. 0.7 miles away); Stele for the Merrimack (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lowell.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 19, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 265 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 19, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.