Gatún facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Gatun (Spanish: Gatún) is a small town located on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. It sits south of the city of Colón, right where Gatun Lake connects to the channel leading to the Caribbean Sea. Gatun is famous for being the home of the Panama Canal's Gatun Locks and the Gatun Dam. These amazing structures were built by the United States between 1906 and 1914.

Gatun's Early Days
- The Gold Rush and Railroad
- French Canal Efforts
Building the Panama Canal
- Gatun's Growth
Life in the Canal Zone
- Wartime Changes
Gatun Today
Gatun Lake's Importance
- Fishing in Gatun Lake
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Gatun's Early Days

The name "El Gatún" appeared on old Spanish maps, referring to a village and a river. We don't know exactly when people first settled here or when the name was given. The village was located on the west bank of the Chagres River, close to where it is today.

In 1671, the famous British pirate Henry Morgan and his crew camped near Gatun. This was after they had attacked and burned down the old Panama City.

By the mid-1800s, Gatun was a quiet village with about 40 or 50 simple huts made of cane. It was on the edge of a wide grassy plain. On a hill overlooking the river, you could see the ruins of an old Spanish fort.

The Gold Rush and Railroad

The California Gold Rush in 1849 brought big changes to Panama, especially to Gatun. Suddenly, prices for food and places to stay shot up because so many people were traveling through. Travelers heading up the Chagres River would stop in Gatun. They paid $2 a night for a hammock before continuing their often-dangerous journey by barge and mule to Panama City. From there, they would sail to San Francisco.

To help these travelers, a group of New York business people created the Panama Railroad Company. Their goal was to build the first railroad connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. When construction began in 1850, ships brought machines, supplies, and workers up the Chagres River as far as Gatun. From Gatun, they worked their way back through the swamp toward the railroad's Atlantic starting point on Manzanillo Island, which is now Colón.

The first part of the railway, from Manzanillo Island to Gatun, was finished in 1851. The entire railroad was completed in 1854, and the first train traveled from coast to coast in January 1855, passing through Gatun. After 1869, when the first transcontinental railroad in the United States was finished, fewer people used the Panama Railroad. Gatun's main role then became a trading post for bananas and other crops. These crops were brought by barge from inland and then sent to bigger markets by train.

French Canal Efforts

Gatun's next big change happened quickly, though it wasn't a surprise. In 1881, a French company led by Count Ferdinand de Lesseps bought the rights from Colombia to build a canal through Panama. This project also included buying most of the Panama Railroad. The French brought in buildings that were already put together, and many of these came to Gatun. French warehouses, living quarters, and workshops were built in Gatun and along the railroad line. The town itself was even renamed "Cité de Lesseps."

The French did a lot of digging between Limón Bay and Gatun. However, by the late 1880s, the project ran into financial trouble and thousands of workers died from diseases like yellow fever. When the digging stopped, Gatun became quiet again. But it wouldn't be long before another big change came to Gatun.

Building the Panama Canal

In 1904, the United States bought the French company's rights and properties. American engineers and planners arrived at the former Cité de Lesseps to restart the long-abandoned canal work. The first American plan, like the original French one, was to build a dam on the Chagres River at Bohío, about 17 miles (27 km) from Colón. However, Chief Engineer John F. Stevens suggested building the dam and the Atlantic side locks at Gatun instead. Work on these began in 1906.

The new American town of Gatun started as a "tent city." A wooden road was built, and by June 1907, 97 buildings had been put up. Work also started on a commissary, which is like a store. In April 1908, the old local village and its residents were moved to an area called "New Town," east of the current Gatun. This new area had over 110 buildings, including a church and about 25 stores. A few months later, Lt. Col. William L. Sibert set up the main office for the Canal's Atlantic Division in Gatun and built his house east of the town.

Gatun's Growth

The year 1909 was a time of major growth for Gatun. A new clubhouse, costing $25,000, was built on a small hill. As the digging and lock construction moved forward, the railroad was moved to its current location. Construction also began on a new railroad station and a new two-story commissary. The town really started to take shape with schools, a two-story hotel, a post office, a telephone exchange, a clinic, a two-story lodge hall, and new living quarters. The American residents of Gatun also created several active clubs and social groups.

By March 1913, Gatun's population was 8,887 people. Nine months later, it had dropped to 5,943. This was because the Gatun Dam was finished, the Gatun Locks were working, and only cleanup work remained. At that time, officials thought Gatun's future population would be around 160 American employees and their families.

Life in the Canal Zone

After the Panama Canal was finished in 1914, it was expected that the population of the Canal Zone would drop a lot. In the early 1920s, there was even talk of completely abandoning Gatun. But in 1928, new homes were built for 164 families. In 1932, plans to replace most of Gatun's old houses were approved. Work on this $1,250,000 project began on January 31, 1934. Old buildings were torn down to make way for more permanent wooden and masonry homes.

Just a few years after Gatun was updated, on August 11, 1939, the U.S. Congress approved building the "Third Locks Project." For Gatun, this meant digging a new canal about half a mile east of the existing one. This construction would have made Gatun an island between two sets of locks!

Wartime Changes

During World War II, the Gatun Locks were protected by strong 26-foot (7.9 m) metal fences. Large balloons, called barrage balloons, floated overhead. Buildings or parts of buildings that could easily catch fire were torn down to prevent them from burning and lighting up the locks. Lights were turned off by 11:00 p.m., street lights were removed, and cars drove with blacked-out headlights. Air raid shelters were built, and air raid drills were held. By 1944, as the war moved to the Pacific, Gatun and the Canal Zone returned to normal life. Old artillery positions were used for new buildings, and bomb shelters were still in many backyards.

On March 31, 1944, a new clubhouse was opened. It was called the "newest and most complete" clubhouse in the system. This building eventually also held the commissary (store) and post office for U.S.-rate employees. A separate commissary and clubhouse for local-rate employees were combined in the part of Gatun known as Chagres.

From the 1940s to the 1970s, Gatun was known for its active Civic Council, many hobbyists, and its Tarpon Club. The Gatun area had three horse riding clubs: Gatun Saddle Club, Atlantic Saddle Club, and Mindi Acres. These clubs were part of the Canal Zone Horsemen's Association, which held many horse shows and events.

The Tarpon Club, first started in 1914, began as the Gatun Fishing Club. It was allowed to build a clubhouse in 1915. Over the years, famous guests included Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as former King Leopold III of Belgium. The Tarpon Club is one of the few Gatun organizations that still exists today.

Gatun Today

Today, much of Gatun is like a ghost town. It is managed and maintained by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). The eastern part of town, once called "New Town," has been taken down to make way for the Panama Canal Expansion Project's new, wider lock channel. Many cruise passengers and tourists visit or pass by the Gatun Locks, but they often don't explore the town to see its remaining Canal Zone-style buildings. The old clinic, school, swimming pool, and fire station are now used by the ACP, but the old Sibert Lodge is no longer active.

Gatun Lake's Importance

Gatun Lake was created in 1913 when the Chagres River was dammed. It is a vital part of the Panama Canal, forming a water path between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This allows ships to travel in both directions. When it was formed, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world!

Gatun Lake covers about 180 square miles (466 km2). It's a huge tropical area that is part of the Atlantic Forest Corridor. Eco-tourism on Gatun Lake has become an important business for Panamanians. The thick rainforest around Gatun Lake has been the best defense for the Panama Canal. Today, these areas are mostly untouched by humans. They are one of the few places on Earth where you can see different native Central American animals and plants living undisturbed in their natural homes.

Barro Colorado Island is the largest island on Gatun Lake. It is home to the world-famous Barro Colorado Tropical Research Institute. This institute was set up for scientific study in 1923, soon after the lake was formed. Today, the research and nature reserve are run by the Smithsonian Institution. Many important scientific and biological discoveries about tropical animals and plants have happened here. Gatun Lake also provides the millions of gallons of water needed to operate the Panama Canal locks every time a ship passes through. It also supplies drinking water for Panama City and Colon.

Fishing in Gatun Lake

Fishing is one of the main fun activities on Gatun Lake. It's believed that the Peacock Bass fish was accidentally brought to Gatun Lake in 1958 by a famous Panamanian fish expert and doctor. Locally, these fish are called "Sargento." Peacock bass are not native to Panama but come from the Amazon, Rio Negro, and Orinoco river basins in South America. There, they are called "Tucanare" or "Pavon" and are considered a top game fish.

Since 1958, the peacock bass have grown in number and become the most popular game fish in Gatun Lake. These aggressive fish are very popular with anglers. They bite on lures that float on top of the water, lures that look like baitfish underwater, and different types of fly patterns. When hooked, they put up a good fight. Interestingly, they prefer to feed during daylight hours. Gatun Lake remains one of the best peacock bass fishing lakes in the world, and it has been for over 50 years.