South from the Lehigh River crossing at Walnutport including Lock #23 at Walnutport to Outlet lock #27, the end of Section 3.

 

This period photograph shows the Lehigh River crossing from Slatington to Walnutport (west to east). In the foreground is the Lehigh Valley Railroad Depot. The locomotive is a 4-4-0 built in the Lehigh Valley's Delano shops in the 1880's. The short covered bridge in the center connects Slatington to Williams Island, an island owned by David Williams. The longer covered bridge crosses the Lehigh River and the Lehigh Canal. The towpath can be seen in the upper left. David Williams was the proprietor of Williams Quarry, 1863. David Williams operated several quarries in Slatington along the river. He also operated quarries in Walnutport and with his partner, Owen A. Williams, he was involved in quarry operations in Danielsville, Walnutport and Berlinsville. Note his building in the foreground just across the railroad tracks. The sign on the building indicates David Williams, Roofing, School Slates and Mantels.

 

Lock #23 at Walnutport. This photograph (circa late 1960's) shows Lock 23 prior to refurbishing efforts of the Walnutport Canal Association.

 

Lock tender's house at lock #23, Walnutport. Frank Kelchner was the last active locktender at lock #23. He and his family resided in the house from before the turn of the century until his death in 1965. After the flood of 1942, Frank Kelchner purchased the house from the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. David Lienhard, the great grandson of Frank Kelchner, today resides in the Slatington/Walnutport area and provided a number of the archival photographs displayed on this site.

 

Known as Kelchner's Lock... lock #23 was located just south of the bridge that connected Walnutport and Slatington. To reach Kelchner's Lock, and the trading post located there, by nightfall was the aim of many boaters. Here the mules would be fed and stabled. Food and clothing could be purchased. Carriages and horses were available for business or pleasure. The view shown above in the period photograph is from the towpath side of the canal looking downstream. There is a canal boat in the lock and the lock is in the raised position. The small building next to the upper end of the lock housed the controls that operated the lock gates. The mule barn and trading post can be seen in the background. The locktender's house would have been to the right in this photograph.

 

Lock #23 at Walnutport. Lock has undergone significant refurbishing. Concrete spillway has replaced gates at upper end. Lower gates are missing. Lift was 9.1 feet.

 

Restored lock tender's house at lock #23, Walnutport. In 1985 the Walnutport Canal Association acquired the lock tender's house at lock 23. Following extensive restoration efforts, dedication ceremonies were held on October 9, 1988. The Walnutport Canal Association continues to maintain the premises.

 

Lower end of lock #23. Lower gates missing. Footbridge across lock where gates would have been. This lock is 13.66 miles from Mauch Chunk (Jim Thorpe).

 

Lehigh Canal looking north back toward lock #23.

 

Lock #24 looking back north from the lower end of the lock. Lift was 7.4 feet. The spillway which replaced the upper gates can be seen through the lock.

 

Lehigh Canal looking north back toward the lower end of lock #24.

 

Lock #25 is overgrown but intact. Debris creates a spillway at upper end. Lower gates are missing. Lift was 6.0 feet.

 

Remains of locktender's house at lock #25.

 

Another view of the locktender's house at lock #25. The house was east of the lock on the berm side with the flume between the house and the lock.

 

Just before lock #26, Bertsch Creek intersects the canal on it's way to the Lehigh River. The Bertsch Creek Aqueduct was one of five along the canal. Aqueducts were constructed to allow the canal to cross the intersecting waterway. This photograph is looking south toward lock # 26 with the floor beams of the old aqueduct still visible.

An aqueduct is a structure, usually wooden, for carrying the canal traffic across depressions, particularly water courses, at levels well below the bottom of the canal.

 

Lock 26 and the Bertsch Creek Aqueduct looking downstream.

 

View of the center pier of acqueduct. The distance of the breach across the creek is about 80 feet. A pier was constructed in the middle of the stream bed to support the floor beams. These beams, in turn, supported the wooden aqueduct that spanned the creek and carried the canal boats across the chasim.

 

Another view of the floor beams that supported the aqueduct. This view is from the canal looking south across the creek toward lock #26.

 

Bertsch Creek at lock #26, from upper end of lock looking north across the creek. The center pier and remaining floor beams are clearly visible.

 

View of center pier of the Bertsch Creek Aqueduct looking upstream.

 

Lock #26 from lower end of lock looking north through the lock. With the aqueduct no longer functioning, the water from the canal drops into Bertsch Creek and therefore, lock 26 and 27 are no longer watered. The lock is overgrown with vegetation. The lift was 6.6 feet.

 

Burned out hotel between lock 26 and lock 27. The front of the hotel faced the canal.

 

Lock #27 looking upstream from the berm side of the lock.

 

Looking through lock #27 from the upper end of the canal bed. Although the lock is not watered, some water is evident in the lower portion of the canal as this is the outlet lock for Section 3 and the slack water from the river fills the low areas. The lift for this lock was 7.7 feet.

 

    Continued