Historical Markers
Canal lock with people and boats under a cloudy sky - historic dams and canals

Self-guided · County in Arkansas

Historic Dams and Canals in Johnson County, AR

Canals, locks, dams and waterworks near you, the engineering that moved goods and water before the highways.

Open the Arkansas map · All states

Photo: Steff Hanson on Unsplash

Johnson County is one of 75 counties in Arkansas. Some of these sites are open to visitors, some are private, and some are ruins. All of them are on the record, and all of them can be seen from the public way.

Hoover dam building entrance with visitors - historic dams and canals
Photo: Varun Venugopal on Unsplash
A person walks beside a canal with boats and houses - historic dams and canals
Photo: Kevin Musumbu on Unsplash
Horse pulling a boat along a canal - historic dams and canals
Photo: Tony Williams on Unsplash

On the record near Johnson County, AR

The 12 nearest

16 listed sites on the record match historic dams and canals within 120 miles of Johnson County, AR, out of 113 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 32 listed sites carry Johnson County as their county.

  1. Cove Lake Spillway Dam--Bridge19 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Corley · listed 1995National Register of Historic Places
  2. Jones, Gould, Reservoir40 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Jasper · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
  3. Iron Springs Dam54 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Jessieville · listed 1993National Register of Historic Places
  4. Charlton Spillway--Dam66 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Crystal Springs · listed 1993National Register of Historic Places
  5. Leatherwood Dam69 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Eureka Springs · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
  6. Crystal Springs Dam69 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Norman · listed 1993National Register of Historic Places
  7. Osage Mills Dam72 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Osage Mills · listed 1988National Register of Historic Places
  8. Carpenter Dam76 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Hot Springs · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
  9. Remmel Dam80 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Jones Mill · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
  10. Roaring River State Park Dam/Spillway80 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Cassville · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
  11. Bard Springs Dam No. 281 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Athens · listed 1993National Register of Historic Places
  12. Bard Springs Dam No. 181 miles from the center of Johnson County · Structure · Athens · listed 1993National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Johnson County, AR. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Dams and Canals in Johnson County, step by step

  1. 1

    See every listed site of this kind in the area

  2. 2

    Sort by distance and pick the closest few

  3. 3

    Read the record for the year, the builder and the use

  4. 4

    View from the public way and note what has changed

  5. 5

    Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in Johnson County, AR ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Johnson County, AR?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in Johnson County

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Johnson County, AR the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Johnson County, AR are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around Johnson County, AR

People gathered on the porch of a white colonial house - historic homesHistoric HomesA group of people sitting on steps outside a historic stone church, enjoying a sunny day - historic churchesHistoric ChurchesA person standing on a stone bridge in a cemetery - historic cemeteriesHistoric CemeteriesA couple walking under a covered bridge - covered bridgesCovered BridgesSteel truss bridge over river with two people - historic bridgesHistoric BridgesA group of people standing on a dock by a lighthouse - historic lighthousesLighthousesTwo people sitting on a bench in front of a building - historic courthousesHistoric CourthousesPeople sitting in the Terminal Bar inside the historic Union Station in Denver - historic train depotsTrain Depots

Dams and Canals near Johnson County

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