Enfield Falls Canal (commonly known as the Windsor Locks Canal) is a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface f ...

that was built to circumvent the shallows at Enfield Falls (or Enfield Rapids) on the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Islan ...

, between

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

and

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, th ...

. It is situated along the west side of the river, adjacent to the towns of Suffield and

Windsor Locks Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approxim ...

Hartford County Hartford County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. According to the 2020 census, the population was 899,498, making it the second-most populous county in Connecticut. Hartford County contains th ...

in the state of

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

, United States. Windsor Locks is named after the series of

locks Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

on the canal.

History

Prior to the opening of the canal, the

scow A scow is a smaller type of barge. Some scows are rigged as sailing scows. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, scows carried cargo in coastal waters and inland waterways, having an advantage for navigating shallow water or small harbours. S ...

s or flat-bottomed boats which plied the Connecticut River could only ascend the falls by engaging local fallsmen to propel the craft forward utilizing set poles. One fallsman was required for each ton of cargo. Not only did the added labor costs make this method of overtaking the falls expensive, but the amount of cargo that could be transported was limited to approximately ten tons. Any additional freight had to be offloaded at Warehouse Point on the east bank and warehoused for later transport or carried around the falls by ox teams. Construction of the canal commenced in 1827 and it was opened on November 11, 1829. The canal was long and had a vertical drop of . The locks admitted craft up to long and wide. The canal was unique among canals of the era in that it was designed with structural reinforcement to facilitate steam tug boat traffic. The design of the canal included a massive head gate with apertures that could be opened and closed to precisely control water levels not only within the lock chambers but within the canal itself. The design feature supported the incorporator's dual intent to profit not only from tolls charged on canal traffic but from the sale of mill sites and the leasing of water rights to mill operators along the last mile of the canal bank. Once the canal was opened, boats were able to carry much larger loads, and the anticipated

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

services were introduced using newly designed vessels capable of passing through the lock chambers.

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

traveled along the canal on February 7, 1842. However, by 1844 the

Hartford and Springfield Railroad The Hartford and New Haven Railroad (H&NH), chartered in 1833, was the first railroad built in the state of Connecticut and an important direct predecessor of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The company was formed to connect th ...

had started operation, and navigation on the Connecticut River gradually reduced. The profits realized from the sale of water rights proved to be the more lucrative of the canal's two purposes.

Today

Today the canal is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, but closed to navigation and privately owned by the Ahlstrom Corporation, which has a manufacturing facility adjacent to the canal. The locks themselves still exist, but have not been usable since the 1970s. The towpath is open for hiking and cycling as the

Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail is a public recreation area that parallels the Connecticut River for between Suffield and Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The modern paved surface covers the original dirt towpath of the historic Enfield Falls ...

. The trail is generally open from April 1 through November 15. The southernmost portion of the trail runs parallel to the J. R. Montgomery Company Industrial Complex.

References

External links

windsorlockshistory.com
- an on-line listing of books, articles, maps and videos on the history of Windsor Locks, including many on the canal.
Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
''The Rise and Fall of the Canal and the Factories Along it'', by Dr. Melvin D. Montemerlo, July 25, 2016

Retrieved January 20, 2006. {{Connecticut canals and reservoirs Canals in Connecticut Bodies of water of Hartford County, Connecticut Canals on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Windsor Locks, Connecticut Transportation buildings and structures in Hartford County, Connecticut Canals opened in 1829 National Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut

History

Today

See also

References

External links