Our own Mike Davidson was out volunteering at the Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks in Lockport this past weekend.  Mike volunteers with the Lockport Locks Heritage District, which puts on demonstrations of the beautifully restored historic locks during the weekends in the summer months.

The heart of Lockport’s Lock District showcases the historical restoration of the original masonry and wooden miter gate locks at Locks 68, 69 and 70.  The locks were originally constructed in the -1820’s and enlarged in the 1860’s when the Erie Canal was the prime thoroughfare for transporting goods and materials across New York State.  The double set of five locks was considered to be one of the most significant engineering triumphs of the era.  The Locks, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were restored to near original condition in two phases in 2014 and 2019.  Visitors can see the massive wooden gates, operated by hand, next to the modern Locks 34 and 35, which allow for today’s canal traffic to pass through the Canal. 

Mike was part of the project team responsible for the first Phase of the restoration of the Locks while working at his previous engineering firm and continues volunteering as a Lock Tender today as it is an important historical site.