Articles in regional publications that pertain to a wide range of North Carolina-related topics.
The Locks and Dams on the Tar River
Record #:
23351
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Abstract:
It was during the years 1840-1850 that the concept of putting locks and dams in the un-navigable Tar River came to fruition. It began in 1849 when the steamboat “Amidas” had trouble getting up the river due to debris. An Improvement Board was set up to clear the river for navigation. Col. W.B. Thompson proposed a series of locks and dams in order to obtain a sufficient depth in the channel, but due to cost by 1857 the State refused to pay anymore and the improvements were suspended and the materials sold. Lock remnants were still used as late as 1899. A partial dam was constructed in 1892 attached to the Tar River Bridge.
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