<div class="description">
This photograph is of the Soo Locks Administration Building on the St. Marys River, in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. In 1896, after 10 years of construction, the original Poe Lock opened, named after General Orlando M. Poe. At 21 feet deep, 800 feet long and 100 feet wide, it was designed to handle two pairs of ships abreast, but vessel sizes increased so rapidly that, when the lock opened, it could only handle two of the new boats. The Poe Lock was also the first lock on the St. Marys River to use lock gates made of steel rather than wood. The Poe Lock was the fourth of the Soo Locks to be constructed on the St. Marys River, since the first lock was built in 1797, and four locks have been built since the first Poe Lock was constructed. The St. Marys River is the only water connection between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. Near the upper end of the river, the water drops 21 feet over hard sandstone in a short three quarter mile long stretch. This rapids, or “sault” to use the original old French term, made it impossible for trade vessels to pass. Vessels had to be unloaded and their contents portaged around.</div>
This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q69487667" class="extiw" title="d:Q69487667"><span title="public library system in Ohio, USA">Midpointe Library System</span></a> as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Public_Library_of_America" class="extiw" title="w:Digital Public Library of America">Digital Public Library of America</a>, via its partner Ohio Digital Network.<span style="text-align:left">
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.midpointedigitalarchives.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16488coll13/id/1129">Record in source catalog</a></li>
<li>DPLA identifier: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://dp.la/item/520df3c51bce602e3b8bb4581e4862a2">520df3c51bce602e3b8bb4581e4862a2</a></li>
<li>Midpointe Library System identifier: MonroeHistSoc_MGWarnerPGNeg_200</li></ul></span>