Settled in the early 1800s, Lancaster became the center of trade for the surrounding mill villages. Instrumental in the city's growth was a series of canals built on the Catawba-Wateree River during the 1820s. The locks made the waterway navigable despite its treacherous shoals and falls. A section of locks at Landsford Canal State Park, about 15 miles northwest off US 21 and SR 330, has been restored. Learn More...