The Locktender’s Daughter lived in a little house alongside the canal with her father and assisted him with his work.
She was young and beautiful, and was the object of hopeful affection of many of the wild canallers as they waited for the the lock to fill or empty.
The boatmen were large and unsavory, and many in the town took the man to task for not being more protective of the girl. But she could handle herself.
When her wit or charm failed, she could rely on the great boathook she used to open and close the canal gates.

“20150829 31 Flight of Five Erie Canal Locks, Lockport, New York” by davidwilson1949 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0