Construction of locks and dams on the Ohio River began in Louisville in 1825 with a canal around the Falls of the Ohio, a major obstacle to boat traffic. The privately financed Louisville and Portland Canal was completed in 1830. Built with hand tools, it was two miles long with three locking chambers that created a total lift of 26 feet. In 1885, the Corps of Engineers began constructing their first lock and dam, extending the season that boats could traverse the river. By 1929, there were 51 wooden wicket dams, each with a 600 foot by 110 foot lock chamber. The Leavenworth Lock and Dam, known as No. 44, was one of these wicket dams. Construction started in 1919 and took seven years, and it remained in operation until 1972. As boats and barges became longer, the Corps began replacing the outdated wicket dams and small locks. The Leavenworth locks and dam were replaced by the new Cannelton Locks and Dam downstream, and the Leavenworth lock and dam walls were destroyed with dynamite. Today only a few buildings remain, and the Leavenworth Lock and Dam No. 44 Historical Park occupies the site of the old Corps property and provides a public boat ramp.