Peterborough in Peterborough County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Richard Birdsall Rogers
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 31, 2024
1. Richard Birdsall Rogers Marker
Richard Birdsall Rogers
CE MEIC OLS
who was Superintending Engineer
of the Trent Canal
during the construction of
this lift lock
Born in Peterborough Jan 16 1857
Died October 2 1927
Erected by The Peterborough Branch of the Engineering Institute of Canada.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Bridges & Viaducts • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is January 16, 1857.
Location. 44° 18.475′ N, 78° 18.046′ W. Marker is in Peterborough, Ontario, in Peterborough County. It is on Hunter Street East 0.2 kilometers east of Museum Drive, on the right when traveling east. The marker is mounted above eye-level on the west side of the Peterborough Lift Lock concrete substructure and tunnel that crosses over Hunter Street East. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 353 Hunter Street East, Peterborough ON K9H 7B5, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Kawarthas Northumberland Area and in Eastern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Ruperts Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site (here, next to this marker); The Peterborough Lift Lock / L'ascenseur a bateaux de Peterborough (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Women and the Second World War / Les femmes et la Seconde Guerre mondiale
this page online
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Peterborough Lift Lock National Historic Site
Also see . . .
1. Richard Birdsall Rogers (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Richard Birdsall Rogers was a Canadian civil and mechanical engineer whose most significant achievement was the design of the Peterborough Lift Lock, a boat lift at Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Rogers suggested the use of hydraulic lift locks to the Minister of Railways and Canals, John Haggart, who commissioned him to travel to Europe to study existing boat lifts in France (the Fontinettes boat lift), Belgium (Lifts on the old Canal du Centre) and England (the Anderton Boat Lift near Northwich in Cheshire).(Submitted on November 13, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 31, 2024
2. Richard Birdsall Rogers Marker
The marker is mounted on the right/south side of the tunnel that runs underneath the waterway.
2. Biography and Career of Richard Birdsall Rogers.
Excerpt: In 1884 he was appointed Superintending Engineer of the Trent Canal, a position which he held until his retirement in 1906. While serving as Superintendent of the Trent Canal, Rogers traveled to Europe to study existing locks there. Some of the engineers allowed him access to much of the necessary information and Rogers, armed with this new-found knowledge, returned to Canada. Once home, he was able to convince the Department of Railways and Canals to allow him to proceed with the plans for construction. Rogers laid out the general plans and from there his staff, mainly Walter J. Francis, his Chief Draughtsman and Thomas A.S. Hay, completed the superstructure and substructure plans under Rogers who Superintended the project.(Submitted on November 13, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Richard Birdsall Rogers (Find A Grave).
Excerpt: (Little Lake Cemetery, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.) A native of Ontario, he is best remembered for his achievement and design of the Peterborough Lift Lock, a hydraulic boat lift in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He studied at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, from 1874 to 1878,(Submitted on November 13, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)and graduated with a degree in civil and mechanical engineering.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 31, 20243. Peterborough Lift Lock Concrete Substructure and TunnelLooking east along Hunter Street East. The Trent Canal runs across the top of this viaduct. The lift lock machinery is obscured by trees on the right.The Peterborough Lift Lock was designated a National Historic Site in 1979, and was named an Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1987. At 65', the structure is still the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world. The concrete towers stand 100' high and the approximate weight of the water in each chamber is 1,300 tons. A transfer takes, on average, 10 minutes to complete. On 9 July 2004, a celebration took place to mark its 100th birthday. The lock is still in use to this day.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 31, 2024
4. Peterborough Lift Lock
Looking north from the south side of the lift lock.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 31, 2024
5. Peterborough Lift Lock Chambers
Looking south through the lift lock; the left chamber is in the down position while the right chamber is in the up position.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 31, 2024
6. Peterborough Lift Lock
Looking south across the right chamber locked in the up position.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 132 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 13, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
