The Lockville Locks in Newark Lock 59, about 300 feet away and across Clinton Street was part of the Enlarged Erie Canal, built between 1839 and 1841 in a section of town once known as Upper Lockville. Its two sister locks 58 and 57, were located in Middle and Lower Lockville. The remains of Lock 58 are located about 500 feet east of Lock 59, but Lock 57 was dismantled for construction of the current Erie Canal. The three original CLinton's Ditch era Erie Canal Locks 70, 69 and 68 were dismantled for construction of the Enlarged Erie Canal. Enlarging the canal became imperative by the mid-1830's as user demand outstripped the capacity of the original Clinton's Ditch-era Erie Canal. Instead of widening the ditch, engineers would plan an alternative route, then excavate and build the new enlarged section nearby. Most locks were made double (enabling east-west traffic) and made deeper, longer and wider to accommodate larger barges and heavier cargoes. Lock 28B of the current Erie Canal has been in use since 1914. Near the south end of the lock chamber is the lock house that was removed from abandoned lock 59 and installed here in 1913. [caption] View of Lock 57 (c. 1910) at Lower Lockville. It is no longer in existence but was identical in design to its sister locks.
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