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Lock 50 on the Delaware & Hudson Canal

By Sean Kuhn
Posted 7/1/22

The Delaware and Hudson Canal was built in the early 1800s to transport anthracite coal from the mines of North-eastern Pennsylvania to the Hudson River and stimulated the growth of settlements …

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Lock 50 on the Delaware & Hudson Canal

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The Delaware and Hudson Canal was built in the early 1800s to transport anthracite coal from the mines of North-eastern Pennsylvania to the Hudson River and stimulated the growth of settlements throughout Sullivan County. Though much of the canal has now been filled in, remnants can be found along its route. Some parts of the canal, like at Lock 50, have been turned into park spaces and preserved as historic landmarks.

Located on Route 209 between Summitville and Phillipsport, Lock 50 was operated by P.O. Callahan and was one of the 95 wood-lined units on the 108 mile-long canal. Lock 50 features a Dry Dock, waste weir, lock system, and sluiceway. Dry docks were used for repairs and the construction of new boats. Occasionally these dry docks were used to store boats during the winter when the canal was frozen over.

Also on this location is a waste weir. Waste weirs were small cut-outs in the canal that would regulate the maximum height of the water. The canal basin between Locks 49 and 50 was used to load and unload cargo. Canal basins also allowed workers to stop for the night without obstructing the waterway. Sluiceways were an integral part to the lock system. While the lock sat idle, both gates would be closed. This would normally cause water to gather at the top gate. Without a sluiceway to divert water, the lock would eventually overflow.

At Lock 50, the remnants of its sluiceway can still be seen off to the side.

Life on the canal was difficult to say the least. Operating on about $3 a day, each boat on the canal required three people to navigate safely through the waterway. A lack of funds made it uneconomical to hire proper help, so boats were often operated by a family unit.  Alongside the canal was a towpath. Children would guide mules pulling the boat up and down the canal. Working the towpath was no easy task. Animals and children would walk about a foot from the canal and would sometimes fall in. Traveling upwards of 20 miles a day, it was not uncommon for children to collapse from exhaustion and drown in the canal.

For a while, the Delaware & Hudson Canal worked in harmony with the O&W Railway. The railway supplemented transportation needs to places the canal didn’t reach. Eventually, the O&W would supplant the canal as the prime mode of transport. Trains were much faster, could operate in the dark, and in the cold of winter. The canal was no match for the economic benefit railways brought to the area.

Today, Lock 50 is a historic landmark and public park. All around the lock are information panels discussing in great detail the history of the canal system.

Visitors can learn how the canal functioned while taking a leisurely stroll in the fresh air. You can even walk a short stretch of the old towpath.  If you’re looking for something to do with the whole family, this would make an excellent and memorable day trip in the Catskills.

The Delaware and Hudson Canal was built in the early 1800s to transport anthracite coal from the mines of North-eastern Pennsylvania to the Hudson River and stimulated the growth of settlements throughout Sullivan County. Though much of the canal has now been filled in, remnants can be found along its route. Some parts of the canal, like at Lock 50, have been turned into park spaces and preserved as historic landmarks.

Located on Route 209 between Summitville and Phillipsport, Lock 50 was operated by P.O. Callahan and was one of the 95 wood-lined units on the 108 mile-long canal. Lock 50 features a Dry Dock, waste weir, lock system, and sluiceway. Dry docks were used for repairs and the construction of new boats. Occasionally these dry docks were used to store boats during the winter when the canal was frozen over.

Also on this location is a waste weir. Waste weirs were small cut-outs in the canal that would regulate the maximum height of the water. The canal basin between Locks 49 and 50 was used to load and unload cargo. Canal basins also allowed workers to stop for the night without obstructing the waterway. Sluiceways were an integral part to the lock system. While the lock sat idle, both gates would be closed. This would normally cause water to gather at the top gate. Without a sluiceway to divert water, the lock would eventually overflow.

At Lock 50, the remnants of its sluiceway can still be seen off to the side.

Life on the canal was difficult to say the least. Operating on about $3 a day, each boat on the canal required three people to navigate safely through the waterway. A lack of funds made it uneconomical to hire proper help, so boats were often operated by a family unit.  Alongside the canal was a towpath. Children would guide mules pulling the boat up and down the canal. Working the towpath was no easy task. Animals and children would walk about a foot from the canal and would sometimes fall in. Traveling upwards of 20 miles a day, it was not uncommon for children to collapse from exhaustion and drown in the canal.

For a while, the Delaware & Hudson Canal worked in harmony with the O&W Railway. The railway supplemented transportation needs to places the canal didn’t reach. Eventually, the O&W would supplant the canal as the prime mode of transport. Trains were much faster, could operate in the dark, and in the cold of winter. The canal was no match for the economic benefit railways brought to the area.

Today, Lock 50 is a historic landmark and public park. All around the lock are information panels discussing in great detail the history of the canal system.

Visitors can learn how the canal functioned while taking a leisurely stroll in the fresh air. You can even walk a short stretch of the old towpath.  If you’re looking for something to do with the whole family, this would make an excellent and memorable day trip in the Catskills.

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