The Farmington Canal Lock 12

Cheshire, CT

In the early 1800s (1828), the Farmington canal was built between New Haven, CT and Northhampton, Mass. Irish immigrants dug the 83 mile canal by hand. It was the longest canal in New England. In 1822, New Haven was one of the most important seaports in New England. And was at a disadvantage in transporting goods to the north. Businessmen were competing with Hartford, which had the Connecticut River.

The canal locks controlled the flow of the water to compensate for the slope of the land. Farmers living nearby would answer the barge captains horn to maneuver the locks. Barges, or flat-bottomed boats, were pulled by mules walking alongside the canal.

The barges carried goods and passengers between ports. A trip from New Haven to Cheshire cost sixty-two cents and took nearly five hours. Local children enjoyed swimming and skating on the canal.

It has been reported that in 1839, the Amistad slaves were transported on the canal from the New haven prison to Farmington. Horsecarts then carried them to the courthouse in Hartford for trial.

The canal operated from 1828 to 1848. Trains then became the preferred form of transportation. Lock 12 is the only restored lock remaining today out of the original 60.

Composed by the Doolittle Elementary School Student Volunteers