Steamboat traffic reached Fort Gay in the 1830s but depended on sufficient water levels, and during dry periods boats could not run. Throughout the 19th century, efforts were made to build a system of locks and dams to allow year-round boat traffic and improve trade on the Big Sandy River. In the 1880s, construction finally began on the locks and Needle dam in Fort Gay. Construction and further improvements continued for decades and eventually allowed steamers to reach Fort Gay and above at any time of the year. Competition from the railroad meant the locks never did much business and they were finally abandoned in 1925.