Lock 26

Lock 26. Life in Cheesedom. Canal, farm, railroad – all played a part in the lives of Charles and Susan Carter. They lived in a house next to Lock 26 and made a living in various ways. Charles served as a canal boat captain and locktender. The family raised corn and hay on their 56-acre farm to feed their dairy cows. , Though the community did not have any stores, taverns, or churches, Ira was a distribution point for dairy products. The Carters and other local farmers brought milk to the Hawkins Cheese Factory for processing. It was one of many in the region, which became known as “Cheesedom”. From the nearby railroad depot, farmers shipped their cheese and fresh milk to urban areas., [Caption]: Farmers were paid every month for the milk they sold to the cheese factory., [Caption]: Charles and Susan Carter’s house bordered the canal towpath at Lock 26. Their son Darwin lived next door and helped run the family dairy farm., [Caption]: In this self-portrait, photographer Edwin Bell Howe stands at the railroad depot with stacks of cheese wheels. The depot was across from the cheese factory at the intersection of Ira and Riverview roads. The depot was named for Ira Hawkins, whose land was crossed by the tracks., [Caption]: Locks act like elevators, raising and lowering boats. It took 44 to manage the 395-foot elevation rise between Cleveland and Akron.