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Melvin Price Locks & Dam Dedicated Twenty Years Ago Today

June 18, 2014 Featured, History/Preservation, Metro East, Missouri No Comments

Two decades ago, on Saturday June 18, 1994, the Melvin Price Locks & Dam was officially dedicated, replacing Lock & Dam 26.

The structure is very large
The structure is very large, free tours daily at 10am, 1pm & 3pm.
Looking down river from up top as a barge leaves the auxiliary lock. The main lock has been out of service since November.
Looking down river from up top as a barge leaves the smaller auxiliary lock. The main lock has been out of service since November.
The gate closing behind downstream barge as it entered the lock
The gate closing behind downstream barge as it entered the lock
Looking upstream toward Alton and the Clark Bridge
Looking upstream toward Alton and the Clark Bridge
The flood of 1993 flooded the open, but incomplete, facility before the dedication. .
The flood of 1993 flooded the open, but incomplete, facility before the dedication. the high water mark is on the left was recorded on August 1st.

Some facts about the Melvin Price Locks & Dam:

  • Also known as #26, the number of the old lock & dam it replaced
  • Named for the Illinois congressman that championed the project, Charles Melvin Price (January 1905 – April 1988)
  • Construction began in 1979, the main lock opened in 1990, and the full structure was completed in 1994.

And here’s an image of the old lock & dam 26:

AERIAL VIEW OF LOCK AND DAM, LOOKING SOUTHEAST Photocopy of photograph, ca. 1980. Original print is on file at St. Louis District Office, U.S. Engineer Office, St. Louis, Missouri. - Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 26, Alton, Madison County, IL
AERIAL VIEW OF LOCK AND DAM, LOOKING SOUTHEAST Photocopy of photograph, ca. 1980. Original print is on file at St. Louis District Office, U.S. Engineer Office, St. Louis, Missouri. – Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 26, Alton, Madison County, IL Click image to view more images at the Library of Congress

And finally, another metro east facility was dedicated on June 18th. Nine years ago (2005) the Malcolm Martin Memorial Park, where I got married recently, was dedicated.

— Steve Patterson

 

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