An Inquisitive Visitor's Guide to the
Ohio & Erie Canal and Towpath Trail

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Tuscarawas County

 

Tuscarawas

 

Upper Trenton Lock Park

 

Location: Upper Trenton Lock Park is located on the south end of the town of Tuscarawas on SR 416. It is on the west side of the road.

 

History: Tuscarawas was laid out in 1816 by Abraham Ricksecker and Abraham Romig. Originally called Tuscarawas or Tuscarawastown, the name was changed to Trenton by petition of the residents sometime during the canal era. It was changed back to Tuscarawas later that century when the postal service determined that there was another town named Trenton in Ohio.

 

The town grew slowly until the coming of the Ohio & Erie Canal in the 1820's. The area became an important loading point for coal, wheat, oats, and corn. Two locks were built just south of town in very close proximity to each other. Although a large amount of damage was done to the canal in this area during the Flood of 1913, Lock 15 has been somewhat restored and is the centerpiece of a small historic park on the southern edge of town.

 

Distance from South Broadway / New Philadelphia 6.9 miles
Distance to Lock Seventeen 4.3 miles
Facilities at the park None
Attractions near the park ◊ Tuscarawas, Ohio

 

Lock 15 South (Portage Summit Level) - Upper Trenton Lock

 

Lock 15 looking south from bridge over the lock

 

About the Lock: The first of the two locks associated with Tuscarawas/Trenton is Lock 15. It was called Upper Trenton Lock because it was upstream from Lock 16, which was called Lower Trenton Lock. The lock is in good condition and a local park now surrounds it. A bridge is located at the north end of the lock. SR 416 runs along the former location of the towpath and the spillway was located on the opposite, or west side of the lock.

 

State of the lock Lock walls intact and in good condition
Lift of the lock 10'
GPS Coordinates N40 23.563 W81 24.485
Accessibility Visible from SR 416 on the west side of the road in public park

 

Lock 16 South (Portage Summit Level) - Lower Trenton Lock

 

Lock 16 looking north from in the canal bed

 

About the Lock: Only 0.2 miles south of Lock 15 lies Lower Trenton Lock, or Lock 16. The area around this lock was rather busy as the canal opened into a wide basin south of the lock and the Trenton Feeder entered the canal from the east. As with the lock before it, the towpath passed the lock on the east side where SR 416 is today. The plat map for the lock does not show a spillway for Lock 16. I am not sure why that is. The lock is hard to spot in the summer today but its location can be identified from the road by the guardrail that protects it from the road.

 

State of the lock Lock walls intact and in fairly good condition
Lift of the lock 8'
GPS Coordinates N40 23.452 W81 24.689
Accessibility Visible from SR 416 on the west side of the road (private property?)

 

The Trenton Feeder

 

About the Feeder: The main source of water for the canal below Lock 16 was the Trenton Feeder. Over 3 miles long, the feeder started on the Tuscarawas River farther north and was navigable by canal boats. By using the feeder, Tuscarawas River, and Stillwater Creek, boats could access Uhrichsville, the third largest community in Tuscarawas County. A guard lock protected the canal from too much water when boats entered the feeder. Today, portions of the feeder prism are still visible and supposedly so are the remnants of the guard lock, but I have not seen them.

 

Do it yourself Scenic Byway: Continuing south on SR 416 from the location of Lock 14, you'll pass through the small community of Goshen before reaching the village of Tuscarawas. On the southern outskirts of town you'll find Lock 15 in the Upper Trenton Lock Park on the west side of the road. There isn't a parking lot for the park, so you'll just have to pull along side the road. Continuing down SR 416 for another 0.2 miles, you'll find Lock 16 behind a guard rail also to the west. If you're adventurous, see if you can find the remnants of the Trenton Feeder before continuing south on SR 416. The canal prism is often visible on the west side of the road as the road runs along the old towpath.

 

<< Continue North | Continue South >>

 

The Silliman Survey picture of the canal is courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water. I colored and labeled it for the explanation above. The historic photo of Lock 16 is courtesy of Dave Meyer.