Frankfort in Franklin County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Locks and Dams
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, December 30, 2012
1. Locks and Dams Marker
Inscription.
Locks and Dams. . Kentucky River Lock and Dam Four are about half a mile north of Kentucky River View Park. They are part of a system of fourteen locks and dams built on the river between the 1830s and 1917. Both state and federal governments contributed to the project. The Frankfort facilities were first installed in 1844, and they have been extensively reworked several times since then. This system of locks and dams opened the Kentucky River for year-round commercial traffic. Promoters of the system expected it to contribute greatly to regional prosperity by providing an economical route for moving goods and people through central and eastern Kentucky. The system never lived up to expectations. By the time it was completed, railroads, which operated much more efficiently than riverboats, were opening routes throughout the area., The United States Army Corps of Engineers maintained the Kentucky navigation system until the last commercial user of the river-a Frankfort sand and gravel company-stopped moving its commodities by barge in 2002. The locks and dams are now under the supervision of the Kentucky River Authority, an agency of state government., A Kentucky River steamboat. Photograph courtesy of the Capital City Museum; City of Frankfort Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites.
Kentucky River Lock and Dam Four are about half a mile north of Kentucky River View Park. They are part of a system of fourteen locks and dams built on the river between the 1830s and 1917. Both state and federal governments contributed to the project. The Frankfort facilities were first installed in 1844, and they have been extensively reworked several times since then. This system of locks and dams opened the Kentucky River for year-round commercial traffic. Promoters of the system expected it to contribute greatly to regional prosperity by providing an economical route for moving goods and people through central and eastern Kentucky. The system never lived up to expectations. By the time it was completed, railroads, which operated much more efficiently than riverboats, were opening routes throughout the area.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers maintained the Kentucky navigation system until the last commercial user of the river-a Frankfort sand and gravel company-stopped moving its commodities by barge in 2002. The locks and dams are now under the supervision of the Kentucky River Authority, an agency of state government.
A Kentucky River steamboat. Photograph courtesy of the Capital City Museum; City of Frankfort Department of Parks, Recreation & Historic Sites.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in
Click or scan to see this page online
this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1917.
Location. 38° 12.332′ N, 84° 52.668′ W. Marker is in Frankfort, Kentucky, in Franklin County. Marker can be reached from Wilkinson Boulevard (U.S. 421) north of West Plaza Connector Road (U.S. 127), on the right when traveling south. Located along the Riverview Trail in Kentucky River View Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 404 Wilkinson Blvd, Frankfort KY 40601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 31, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 400 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 31, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.