It's a Short Commute
1829 - 1942
"The boatsmen had a hard life. But the locktenders did too, because they couldn't go nowhere. They had to be on the job all the time."
Harvey Brant
Locktender
It is early morning and still dark. Nestled in bed, six sleeping children nearby, the family did not notice the boats gathering outside their door. The alarm clock is a loud horn blowing outside the lockhouse window. The canalers waited while you slept, taking a well-earned nap. But it is now 4:00 a.m., time to begin another day.
With efficiency born of repetition, the rhythm of a choreographed dance, the locktender or family member opens and closes gates eighteen hours a day, early spring through late fall. Sundays off are wonderful, but those six hour nights are just too short.
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company provides the house year round and a pay check during operational months. Making ends meet sometimes requires creativity. The older child may tend the lock while Dad works another job. Mom takes in laundry, trading fresh vegetables and baked goods for coal. Sometimes the peaceful winter seems so far away.
• The locktender operated the lock gates by turning gears located in a "dog house".
• Friends of the Delaware Canal restored this lock house in
this page online
• A canal boat ride and visit to a lockhouse invite you into the past in Easton's Hugh Moore Park.
[Bottom left photo caption reads]
Walnutport residents restored their lockhouse to its former glory. Volunteers open it whenever possible.
Erected by Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Bethlehem City and Township, and Carbon County.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Canal (AKA Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal) series list.
Location. 40° 39.756′ N, 75° 14.307′ W. Marker is in Easton, Pennsylvania, in Northampton County. Marker is near the Josiah White II canal boat loading area in Hugh Moore Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2750 Hugh Moore Park Road, Easton PA 18042, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. From Mountain to Market (here, next to this marker); The Canaler's Life (here, next to this marker); Canal Boats (here, next to this marker); The Lehigh Canal (a few steps from this marker); Easton & Nearby Heritage Attractions
Also see . . .
1. Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. (Submitted on November 3, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Canal History. (Submitted on November 3, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. A Brief History of the Delaware Canal. (Submitted on November 3, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 147 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 3, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on November 2, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
