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Port Byron in Cayuga County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Port Byron's Lock 52

 
 
Port Byron's Lock 52 Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Anton Schwarzmueller, May 19, 2017
1. Port Byron's Lock 52 Marker
Inscription. Lock 52 on the Erie Canal was once a busy place. Built in 1851 and lengthened on the berm side in 1887 to accommodate two boats hitched together in tandem, the lock created a popular stopping point for canal boatmen.

The 11-foot lift at Lock 52 made it one of the deepest locks on the Enlarged Erie Canal. It was also one of only five locks on the Enlarged Canal where eastbound boats were raised rather than lowered. The lower (western) end of Lock 52 was the easternmost point to which water from Lake Erie flowed in the Enlarged Erie Canal.

In 1918, the current Canal System opened bypassing Port Byron and Lock 52 on a new alignment several miles to the north. Left behind was the impressive stone structure of Lock 52, a reminder of the bygone era of the Enlarged Erie Canal.
 
Erected 2016 by New York State Thruway Authority / Canal Corporation.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Man-Made FeaturesWaterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Erie Canal series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.
 
Location. 43° 2.201′ N, 76° 38.189′ W. Marker is in Port Byron, New York, in Cayuga County. Marker can be reached from Interstate 90. Thge marker is within the Erie Canal
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Heritage, an historical interpretive site / rest area off eastbound Interstate 90. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Port Byron NY 13140, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Erie Canal in Port Byron (within shouting distance of this marker); Tanner's Dry Dock (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Erie House (about 600 feet away); Blacksmith Shop and Mule Shed (about 700 feet away); Glaciers, Drumlins, and High Level Lakes (about 800 feet away); Henry Wells (approx. ¼ mile away); Brigham Young (approx. 0.7 miles away); Amos S. King (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Byron.
 
More about this marker. No restrooms or concessions at the park.
 
Port Byron's Lock 52 & Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Anton Schwarzmueller, May 19, 2017
2. Port Byron's Lock 52 & Marker
Interstate 90 at left.
Port Byron's Lock 52 Detail image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Howard C. Ohlhous, October 20, 2017
3. Port Byron's Lock 52 Detail
Detail of the stone steps of the "island" of Lock 52.
Port Byron's Lock 52 Detail image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Howard C. Ohlhous, October 20, 2017
4. Port Byron's Lock 52 Detail
Detail of the recess in the lock wall for the lock gate. Notice the very top row of stone, extending over the recess in the lock chamber wall; In 1895 New York State launched another rebuilding of the Erie Canal, to increase the depth of the channel from seven to nine feet. The additional depth would allow for more heavily loaded boats. Though never completed statewide, here in Port Byron the work was finished.
Port Byron's Lock 52 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Howard C. Ohlhous, October 20, 2017
5. Port Byron's Lock 52
This view is looking east at the lower western end of the lock. You can stand at this same spot today, near the south side of the New York State Thruway. The Lock was constructed in the early 1860s with the lengthened section shown on the right being added in the 1880s. The towpath used by the mule teams and their drivers, the "hoggies", is on the left side of the image. This photo is on display at the Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park interpretive center.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2017. It was originally submitted on May 22, 2017, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. This page has been viewed 295 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on May 22, 2017, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.   3, 4, 5. submitted on October 26, 2017, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York.

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Mar. 19, 2024