Retired lock operator recalls rich history of navigation at Hales Bar

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Retired lock operator recalls rich history of navigation at Hales Bar

Earl Keeler, 91, (right) retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District lock operator thanks just recently retired Nickajack Lock lockmaster and old friend Butch Witcher for arranging their Dec. 19, 2013 visit to the 100-year-old Hales Bar Lock site where Keeler worked from 1960 until its closing in 1967. Keeler then transferred to Nickajack Lock where he helped train Witcher in 1980.

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Photo by: Fred Tucker | VIRIN: 131219-A-HL948-003.JPG

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