Enlarged Erie Canal Locks #9,#10,#11,#12,#13,#14,#15,#16,#17,#18 in Cohoes, NY

#9: (Satellite)

#10: (Satellite, based on Adam's labelled satellite image below.)

#11: (Satellite, based on Adam's labelled satellite image below.)

#12: (Satellite, based on Adam's labelled satellite image below.)

#13: (Satellite, Bedford St. is built on the canal's RoW, and the lock was about half way between High and Columbia Streets.)

#14: (Satellite)

#15: (Satellite, based on Adam's labelled satellite image below.)

#16: (Satellite, based on Adam's labelled satellite image below.)

#17: (Satellite, based on Adam's labelled satellite image below.)

#18: (Satellite, this was the west chamber. The eastern one is full of trees.)

Erie Canal Overview

This map is at a weird angle. Specifically, Bedford Street is a north/south street with North towards the right side. Note the original 1825 canal route was closer to the rivers.

ErieCanal_tour via SpindleCity via ErieCanal_Lock 9-18, cropped and reduced

1893/93 Cohoes Quad @ 62,500

Lock #9

Adam Dubec posted two images with the comment: "Lock No. 9 Erie Canal in George Street Park near Alexander Street with the Locktender house and Locktender on patrol circa 1900's.  If you look closely it looks like water behind the house."

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Adam Dubec posted two images with the comment: "Lock no. 9 Erie Canal in George Street Park looking North from Alexander Street [must be today's Empire State Trl]."

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Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 9  The South entrance to Lock 9, Cohoes, looking North -- Taken in 2007 by Fred Wehner.

Adam Dubec posted

Lock no. 9  1975 Press Photo Erie Canal Recreation Project in Cohoes

This is an original press photo. Erie Canal Recreation Project in Cohoes, New York - pix looking southwest. Photo is dated 08-21-1975.

Adam Dubec posted
Lock no. 9 Erie Canal in George Street Park close to Alexander Street looking South at Alexander Street, with locktender's house to the Left early 1950s.

Adam Dubec posted five photos with the comment: "Lock No. 9 from 2003 (credit to Derek Baranski)"

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Christien Holcomb commented on Adam's post
I did the structure hunt in 2006-2007. Here is Lock 9 from 2007

Lock #10

Adam Dubec posted four images with the comment: "Lock No. 10 Erie Canal ruins in George Street Park closer to George Street.  Only one wall of Lock 10 remains after the rest was dismantled in the 1950s."

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Lock #11

Adam Dubec posted three images with the comment:

Lock no. 11 Erie Canal in Cohoes behind St.Rita's Church just North of George Street in the early 1950s.  

Very little of Lock 11 remains today. North of George Street, it is behind a church building, mostly filled in. Most of the west outer wall of the western lock chamber is intact, with both gate pocket recesses still in place; the southeast-most gate pocket of the overall lock structure lies beneath the pulpit of the northwest corner of the church.

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Lock #12

Adam Dubec posted
Lock no. 12 Construction site of Grogan Memorial FireHouse on Central Ave in Cohoes 1966.

Adam Dubec posted two images with the comment: "Lock no. 12 Erie Canal looking North from the 1950's.  This section is now mostly underneath the Cohoes Firehouse building on Central Ave  01."

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Adam Dubec posted
Lock no. 12 The remains of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock 12 in Cohoes, looking South -- taken April 12, 2023 by Ted Olsen

Lock #13

Adam Dubec posted two photos with the comment:

Lock no. 13  Bedford Street looking North, roughly standing on Columbia Street

The Bedford St Bridge is behind the Lock at the High St intersection(Primeau's). Mansion in far background on top of hill is the former School Administration Building/Mansion on Johnson Ave in Green.  St Agnes spire is above the tree line in the top Left of photo in Red.  Mule team tows the Nina West and other canal boats thru the locks.  (credit to Cori Willson)

Nina West was my great grandmother born in 1884. Virtually certain this boat was owned by her father Nelson West, who was a second generation canaler. Nina West married a canaler and later had 4 sons and 2 son in-laws who were tugboat men on the canal(Aaron Connor)

One in the chamber and 3 are in line waiting.  Rush Hour Traffic!  This section of the canal was always a busy section due to the nature of the design.  There were 72 lift locks on the Erie Canal, 10 of which were in Cohoes alone and 'The Sixteens' when you account for Watervliet.

Matt Rehcserd: Couple of houses on Bedford between Columbia and the bowling alley were built right around 1900 and are still there. Must have been a real change for everyone when the Waterford flight and the barge canal opened.

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Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 13  Erie Canal And St Agnes Church postcard new

#14 is peeking under the bridge.

Adam Dubec posted

Lock No. 13  Canal Locks Nos 13 and 14 John Walker proprietor

The body of JOHN WALKER, proprietor of a canal barn at Waterford NY, was found terribly cut and mangled in some bushes near a lonely portion of a towpath at Cohoes. It is supposed he was murdered for some money which he had on his person for the purpose of purchasing a team of horses.

Cohoes Republican Newspaper Jul 1887

Adam Dubec posted two images with the comment:

Lock No. 13 -  Bridge on Bedford and Columbia Streets Lock No 14 & 13

Erie Canal looking South showing Lock No 14 in Red, Lock No 13 and the High Street bridge in Green and the Bedford ColumbiaStreet bridge thereafter in Blue.  Sargent Street is to the Left in Cyan.  What else can you identify?

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Adam Dubec posted two images with the comment:

Lock No. 13  Erie Canal along Bedford Street looking South

Lock No. 13  Erie Canal along Bedford Street looking South at Lock No 13 and High Street Bridge. Lock 13 remains are buried under a multi-bay garage in Cyan and is the only Lock in Cohoes not visible. The houses on the Top Right would be Imperial Ave.  Pretty Cool Huh...

A pair of mules can be seen heading toward the camera along the canal. The area around the canal was a lively and dangerous place, with stables, shops, and warehouses. Competition among boatmen for precedence in locking through often led to altercations, as did drinking at the numerous saloons near the canal. Some lock tenders were unscrupulous, demanding payment for passage through the locks and threatening travelers if they did not receive it. Drowning in the canal was not unusual. "Canalers" or their passengers fell from boats, and local residents sometimes slipped into the water while crossing the canal.

Earl Johnson: Part of the lock is visible behind the fence at end of garage.

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Adam Dubec posted

Adam Dubec posted two images with the comment: "Lock No. 13 - 14 real photo from Waterford Historical Society."

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Lock #14

Adam Dubec posted three images with the comment:

Lock No. 14 of the enlarged Erie Canal Pre-1918

Beautiful image of Lock No 14 complete with water, tow paths and locktender houses/shacks. The long lock levers used to open the locks can be seen. Up top the Johnson Mansion peeks above the treeline. Remnants of Lock No. 14 can be found at the end of Standish Street behind the Bowling Alley.

The postcard show two views of the enlarged Erie Canal, constructed in the late 1830s to early 1840s. The steep rise in elevation that carried boats around the Cohoes Falls gave Cohoes the largest concentration of Locks in any community along the canal. In the image, the wing (curved) walls and gates of the lock can be clearly seen. This modified canal was larger (70 feet wide) and deeper (7 feet deep) than the original Erie Canal, which was 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep. It had double-chamber locks, which allowed simultaneous boat travel in both directions. The enlargement of the canal also permitted the use of larger boats that could carry more than eight times the cargo of boats used on the original canal.

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Adam Dubec posted three images with the comment:

Lock No. 14 on Bedford Street looking North

Lock No. 14 behind current day Cohoes Bowling Alley off of Standish Street looking North.  The Johnson Mansion on top once housed David J Johnson 2nd Mayor of Cohoes(1872-1876) and the Superintendent of Harmony Mills, which can be partially seen to the Right. Lock 15 is connected to Lock 14 by way of the Enlarged Erie Canal towpath.  Check Out the clotheslines.

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Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 14 The remains of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 14, southern end -- Photograph, taken March 15, 2023 by Howard Ohlhous

Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 14 behind the Cohoes Bowling Alley

Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 14 and the High Street Bridge from The Galt & Hoy Cohoes 1879 Map

Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 14 showing the High Bridge from Schillner Enlarged Erie Canal Maps (credit to Ted Olsen)

Locks #15 and #16 

Locks #16 (left side) and #15 (center)

Adam Dubec posted

Lock no. 17 Birds Eye View of Cohoes NY in 1859 showing Cohoes Falls Erie Canal & Harmony Mills

This postcard view of the Harmony Mills in 1859 shows the enlarged Erie Canal, with several canal boats traveling along it, in the foreground. Lock No. 15 of the canal is near the center of the image, and Lock No. 16 is on the left. Harmony Mill No. 1 is on the far left, directly behind Lock No. 16, with Mill No. 2 to the right. The bridge crossing the canal between Mills Nos. 1 and 2 is where Vliet Street is today. 

This image also shows one of the power canals for the mills, located between the Erie Canal and the Mohawk River. Note that Harmony Mill No. 3 had not yet been constructed at this time. The Cohoes Falls are in the upper left of the image. The bridge between Cohoes and Waterford can be seen downriver from the falls. The span at that time was a covered toll bridge.

Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 15 & 16 with the Vliet Street Bridge in front of the Harmony Mill Complex from The Galt & Hoy Cohoes 1879 Map

Adam Dubec posted two images with the comment: "Lock no. 15 Erie Canal is located southeast of the intersection of Vliet Street and Harmony Street, and is in good condition.  The small house to its SouthEast is the old locktender's house."

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Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 15 Erie Canal chamber is located along the Erie Canal Bikeway near Vliet Street and Harmony Street, and is in good condition.

Robert Pulling posted four photos with the comment: "These are the pictures I got of lock 15 in Cohoes this summer. I would love to get in there with some pruners."

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Adam dubec posted two photos with the comment: "Lock No. 15 Erie Canal looking SouthEast with the remnants of the Locktenders House and Harmony Mill No 4 (Jute Mill) taken by Howard Ohlhous"

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Erie Canal commented on Photo 2
Adam: This looks very similar to the photo I took in 2023! Frank S. posted it to his website, ErieCanal.org [Specifically, https://www.eriecanal.org/Lock9-18.html]

Adam Dubec posted three images with the comment: "Lock No. 16 are located behind Harmony Mill No 1. The old towpath and Harmony Mill No 1 are on the Right.  The lock's two chambers have been filled in, with only the top few courses of stone visible Circa 1930's"

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Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 16  Erie Canal that ran along Harmony Street behind (West) the Harmony Mills with Harmony Mill No 1 to the Right

Locks #17 and #18

Adam Dubec posted three images with the comment:

Lock No. 18 looking NorthEast at the lock and a bridge labeled as Lock No 17 Private Farm Road which is South of Manor Ave bridge.  The bridge abutment on the West side can be seen in the additional pic.

The Locktenders House/Shack to the Right no longer stands.  The body of water behind the lock is the Mohawk River and the Cohoes Falls are hidden behind the trees

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Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 18 looking East complete with tow and mule paths. The home on the Left no longer stands.  I date this to the early to mid 1920's or earlier.

Tom Page: Did you mean looking west? It's clearly looking up-canal.

[Geographically, it is looking Northeast because the canal curves back towards the river.]

Adam Dubec posted
Lock no. 17  'View of Erie Canal, Cohoes, NY' (7085 - Northern News Co., Troy, N.Y.) - Postcard approximately 1906 -- Note Lock 17 in the center, behind the 2 buildings.

Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 17  1842 Enlarged Erie Canal, is mostly intact except for the mostly missing north wall. It's located in the North end of Cohoes, NY, near the School Street Hydro Plant.

Adam Dubec posted three images with the comment:

Lock No. 17 & 18 with the Cohoes Company Hydraulic Power Canal(Original Erie Canal)

From the Schillner Enlarged Erie Canal Maps and Canal Survey in HAER(Hisorical Architectual Engineering Record)

With a lift of 10 feet and a whipple bridge with a length of 101 feet was used to access the area. Notice the bridge near Church Street. Cohoes Falls is situated to the lower Right and Harmony Mills is to the Left on both sides of the power canal.

Matt Rehcserd: What was the cohoes company canal? Was that just a private takeover of the original erie canal?

Adam Dubec: In the Cohoes portion, Yes. It used the running water to power industries in Cohoes before electric power. It lasted til 1915 and all canals were emptied in 1918 due to hazards...

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Adam Dubec posted
[I recognized this as #17 because of the mill in the background.]
Adam Dubec posted

Erie Canal Lock No 17 in this beautiful pic looking SouthEast showing Harmony Mills No 3 & a small portion of 1. Harmony Mills has much of it's ornate roof designs which no longer exist. 

The towpath or road to the Left is the beginings of Orchard Street and to the Right is Erie Street. This area is what many Cohoesier's refer to as "The Orchard" as the rear of the homes on the Left were on Orchard Street and the many trees in that area(the white house still stands) and the road to the Right is John Stret. The far Right on top would be Sunset Park and Reservoir Street.

The water in the canal and no visible cars dates this photo to pre-1915 and closer to the late 1800's.

Adam Dubec posted four images with the comment:

Lock No. 17 Erie Canal are North of the West end of Erie Street

The Erie Canal Lock 17 are North of the West end of Erie Street, a short distance West of Orchard Street off of Mohawk Street. A former Locktender's house (now a private residence) is located just to the South of the lock. Harmony Mills No 1 & 3 is situated behind the Lock with Waterford and Troy in the far distance.  The 2 vehicles dates to the late 1920's

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Adam Dubec posted
Lock No. 18 Erie Canal is located just West of North Mohawk Street and this view looking South can be seen from the Cohoes Fall Parking area and is listed on the National Register Of Historic Places.

Joel Torres commented on Adam's post
That's awesome your 1950s photo and my 2025

Adam Dubec posted

Lock no. 18  Mohawk River and Erie Canal map segment.

Note the Cohoes Falls on the map.

Adam Dubec posted three images with the comment: "Lock No. 18 Erie Canal looking North at the tail end of the lock. LePages Market is located just North on Mohawk Street and Schillner Enlarged Erie Canal Maps."

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Adam Dubec posted two images with the comment: "Lock No. 18 Erie Canal is South of Manor Ave and within viewing distance of Cohoes Falls as seen here  01"

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Adam Dubec posted two photos with the comment:

Lock No. 18  Empty Erie Canal that ran along North Mohawk Street. Lock #18 is just ahead on modern day Manor Ave

The 1st pic looking South shows St Agnes Church spire can be seen in the center and the Cohoes Falls is to the Left out of frame and the 2nd pic looking North the Cohoes Fall is just out of sight on thr ZRight

The lock and bridge are components of lock 18. The little house just North of that has vanished without a trace unless it was moved which was common in those days. The Easterly berm which also is the elevated towpath was removed, I suspect , during the depression when they created the road to Crescent which they used to refer to as the “towpath”. The water in the lock back then is essentially the same height as the Mohawk at Crescent today. This indicates how high the river was raised by construction of later dams off the “ tow path” today.."

The bridge in the background is essentially the present location of the intersection of North Reservoir Street and Manor Avenue.

Walter Lipka

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