A Man and His Dream
"... exam in Engineering - did pretty well..."
Richard Birdsall Rogers, 1874
The magnificent achievement of the Peterborough Hydraulic Lift Lock in
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, owes its unique design to the vision of
one man, Richard Birdsall Rogers. It was a construction project fraught
with political conspiracies, constant court battles and labour difficulties.
In spite of setbacks, the Lift Lock construction forged ahead. Newspaper
articles declared the project necessary for both tourism and transportation
but also had substantial coverage of exploding expenses to complete the
project. Rogers lived through the scandal, suffered professional humiliation
and finally received vindication years later from all charges.
Rogers’ hydraulic lift lock is still in operation after nearly 100 years.
There have been several books and articles which chronicle his work but
none which have been based on his personal diaries, drawings, correspondence
and photographs. These materials are preserved in Trent
University Archives, and it seems appropriate to celebrate the
achievements of Rogers on the eve of the centenary. This is his story.
Peterborough Hydraulic Lift Lock 1
Listen to Richard Rogers' daughter describe opening day in a 1964 interview
Trent Masonry Plans 2
