Monday, April 11, 2016

Chains

There are several places along the Ohio River here in the Huntington area -- let's say from the mouth of the Guyandotte River to around the mouth of the Big Sandy -- where old chains are anchored into the bank but which apparently have not been used for decades.



It's been 55 years since the Greenup Locks and Dam finished raising its pool, and I'm guessing some of these things predate that event. But I still wonder who put them there and when, for how long they were used and what kinds of boats or barges tied up to them.

We have a good deal of history about boats but not near enough about the ancillary things that went along with commerce in the old days. And there are records that exist that I would love to get ahold of, such as the log books of Lock and Dam 27 or the Gallipolis Locks and Dam from the early 1960s.

So much for the bucket list, and so little access ...


3 comments:

Phil Pockras said...

IF you ever get those logs, I'd love to see copies. My maternal grandfather worked at Lock & Dam 27; my paternal grandfather was the lead engineer and project manager for the Gallipolis Lock & Dam.

h.m.sanders said...

@ Phil Pockras
I have just finished a book Mr. Ross had mentioned in a previous post..."Men, Mountains and Rivers: An Illustrated History of the Huntington Engineers". A fascinating history on Ohio River development.

It mentions your Grandfather on several occasions. I believe he played a significant role in the WWII years. It was war time...it wasn't just Lock & Dams! If this is your Grandfather I think you should be very proud of him!

Lt. Col. Harry Pockras was District Engineer ACoE Huntington District 24May1943-26Jan1946

Mr. Ross thanks for mentioning the book!

Phil Pockras said...

Mr. Sanders: That is he. He retired in 1957 as a full Colonel (O-6). In 1958, my grandparents moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. My grandfather was mortally injured in a car wreck on I-95 in late 1969. My grandmother moved to Cincinnati to be close to us and died in the autumn of 1971, partially due to the same accident. Both are buried in the Oak St. Cemetery in Towanda, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

Thanks for your kind words. My maternal grandparents both died in 1957 when I was a small boy; I don't remember them well. My dad's folks died when I was in high school, so I knew them much better.