Travel in Time with Dan: Fictional Interview with the Lock 12 Lock House Keeper, Farmington Canal (circa early 1800s)
Dan: Hello, everyone! This is Dan Blanchard with the Travel in Time with Dan Show, where we mix travel, history, and leadership. Today, I’m standing in beautiful Cheshire, Connecticut, at one of the most fascinating and well-preserved pieces of engineering in the state, Lock 12 of the Farmington Canal. This lock is nearly 200 years old, and just behind me stands the lock keeper’s house. And today, I’m honored to “sit down” with the man who once lived and worked right here, the Lock 12 Lock House Keeper Elias Porter. Sir, thank you for joining me.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: You’re quite welcome, Dan. It’s good to see folks still walking these paths. This lock was once a place of constant motion and purpose.
Dan: To many visitors today, this looks peaceful… almost quiet. But that wasn’t always the case.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: Far from it. In the early 1800s, this canal was the lifeline of commerce. Boats carrying goods, raw materials, and supplies passed through here daily. What you see now as a walking trail was once a working water highway.
Dan: What inspired Connecticut to take on such a massive project?
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: Opportunity, and a bit of envy. When New York completed the Erie Canal, it transformed their economy. Suddenly, goods could move hundreds of miles cheaply and efficiently. Connecticut leaders didn’t want to be left behind, especially towns not connected to the Connecticut River. That’s when “canal fever” took hold.
Dan: The Farmington Canal was a bold vision.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: Indeed. Eighty-six miles long, running from New Haven all the way to Northampton, Massachusetts. Twenty feet wide, four feet deep, a man-made river carved largely by Irish immigrant labor using little more than shovels and wheelbarrows. It was hard, exhausting work, but the belief was strong: this canal would bring prosperity.
Dan: And Lock 12 played a crucial role in that system.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: Very much so. The land here isn’t flat. Boats can’t simply float uphill, so locks like this acted as water elevators. A boat would enter, gates would close, and water would fill the chamber lifting the vessel to the next level of the canal. Precision mattered. One mistake could cost time, cargo, or lives.
Dan: You weren’t just a lock keeper, though.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: No, sir. I wore many hats. I lived here, operated the lock, maintained the gates, and often served as the local sheriff. Order had to be kept… this was a busy crossroads of people, money, and goods.
Dan: The lock house itself was innovative.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: Quite so. The runoff water from the canal was used to help heat the house. You might call it an early form of geothermal heating. We didn’t have the language for it then, but we understood efficiency.
Dan: This area also connects to a powerful moment in American history… the Amistad story.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: Yes. The men and women from the Amistad passed through this region on their way to Farmington. Local residents helped them raise funds so they could return home to Africa. This canal didn’t just move goods, it carried stories of courage, justice, and humanity.
Dan: Despite all the effort and vision, the canal didn’t last long as an economic engine.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: No. Geography worked against us. The canal ran north to south, but the real economic flow was east to west. Winters froze the canal solid. And then came the railroads, which were faster, more reliable, and unstoppable. The canal era ended sooner than many expected.
Dan: Yet here we are, two centuries later, and the canal still matters.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: That is the beauty of vision, Dan. Though the canal failed in its original purpose, it adapted. Today it lives on as the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail supporting small businesses, encouraging health, recreation, and connection. The original idea still serves the people, just in a different way.
Dan: Standing here today, what leadership lesson do you think Lock 12 teaches us?
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: That great leadership requires bold vision and also adaptability. Not every plan succeeds as intended. True leaders adjust, repurpose, and allow their work to evolve. What matters is that the effort continues to serve the common good.
Dan: That’s a powerful reminder. Thank you for sharing your story—and for helping us better understand the labor, innovation, and leadership that built this place.
Lock Keeper Elias Porter: Thank you, Dan. As long as people walk these paths and ask these questions, the canal’s story lives on.
Dan: Here in Cheshire, Connecticut, Lock 12 of the Farmington Canal stands as more than stone and water. It stands as a symbol of bold ideas, hard work, and long-term impact. Leadership isn’t just about building something new; it’s about creating something that can adapt and continue to serve generations to come.
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