To view a
larger image click on that particular image... for a brief description
of the image place your cursor on the image. |
Lock 3
on the Monongahela River, Elizabeth, PA.
Original Lock 3
According to R. T. Wiley in his book " Elizabeth and Her Neighbors" the
original Lock 3 opened during the Fall of 1844 and was located "two
miles above town's docks" below the mouth of Watson's Run known as
Pangburn's." Dates of photo's above are unknown with the photo on
the left being an earlier photo as it shows the dam made of wood.
Above photos showing what the original
Lock 3 area looks like 105+ years after it was taken out of
service. Photos
were taken by Jacob Spencer who works on the M/V JONATHAN
ROBERT MURRAY, during the fall of 2015 . |
Above is a copy of a photo published in the June 1978 issue of S&D
Reflector, a Riverbuffs magazine. The magazine indicates the picture was
taken c.1900-1903 and in addition to the boats and barges, shows the
Elizabeth Water Works on the right. The magazine writes that the
picture was taken from the present location of Lock #3.
Below is a
postcard dated 1911 with a similar photo as above but taken in milder
weather with fewer barges.
|
Lock 3 Built in 1905
This
photo was also published in the June 1978 issue of S&D Reflector and
shows the initial dredging work for the construction of the
"new" Lock 3. The "new" lock was built in
1905 and moved downstream from the original lock more than a mile closer
to the edge of town.
|
|
This postcard dated 1911 written by a resident of
Elizabeth has interesting information and sad family news. |
These
photos of construction/repair work taking place at Lock 3 are dated June
13, 1923. A major re-building of Lock 3 was
completed in 1926 which included doubling the length of the inner
chamber. Several boats shown in this photo include the Steamer
HOMESTEAD actively involved as is the DERRICK BOAT NO. 5 and the small
craft KATY DID on the far right. The Steamer VULCAN is also
shown coming through the locks.
JW
does not mention the Steamer HOMESTEAD being at the Elizabeth Marine Ways
in his journal. Although he does mention working on various Derrick
Boats, the NO. 5 is not one he writes about. |
The
six pictures above show Lock #3 undergoing some type of repair
work. I assume the pictures were taken by one of the
workmen. I date these pictures as being late 1920s
and could be the remodeling work mentioned above. The
Steamer TITAN in the pictures above was built in 1899 and worked the
Western PA rivers as the TITAN until 1929. |
This
Steamer TITAN with a single smoke stack was built in 1930. |
|
|
These
two photos show additional work taking place at Lock 3. Written on
the back of one of these photos is "unwatered chamber" as a
reference to the outer lock chamber being drained of water.
Note
the
appearance of the land across the river from the Lock, today this land is heavily industrialized without open
areas or
homes as shown when these photos were taken. Date of these
photos is unknown. |
The
above photos are from the collection of
A. Elmer Meyers. The photo on
the left shows the employees at Lock 3 celebrating the retirement of
Fred W. Shenkle who is sitting in the chair.
Fred retired during the first week of December 1937
as the "Assistant Lockmaster" after spending most of his working life on
the locks of the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. Two
other men are identified, Elmer's Uncle
John Griffiths and his friend Emil Dandoy, both are Lockman. Other names are
appreciated. |
Three photos above show the Steamer A. O. ACKARD
in Lock 3 during October 1924. Note the coal tipple that can
easily be seen in the background, I think that this might be a
Horner & Roberts coal mine tipple. A few years ago there
were remnants of this tipple that still existed,
maybe they still do. |
|