From Skilled Hands

My Town Monday: Of Men and Boats

By fromskilledhands ( June 29, 2008 at 9:51 am) · Filed under Community, Discoveries, Giveaway, Home, My Town Monday, Peninsula, Peninsula Python

The Ohio and Erie Canal played a critical part in the development of the Cuyahoga Valley. The workers toiled long hours for 30 cents a day and whiskey at night.

Most of the employees of the Peninsula boat yards were locals; like the builders of the Canal, most of the laborers remain anonymous. Some not only built canal boats, but also they also erected buildings and bridges. Many of the boatyard workers also worked on the boats, making them “canalers.”

Canal boats were 79-81 feet long, and about 14 feet wide. Their width was limited by the size of the locks through which they traveled. New vessels needed about 3 1/2 feet of water in which to float; older vessels required a bit more depth since they accumulated “seepage water.” Once the stomping grounds of canal mules, the towpath is now used as a trail, of which over 70 miles is complete. I’ll explore the trail in a future post.

The cool thing is that many of the buildings still stand. In other places, old foundations are visible. The stories of the people who carved this Village are alive and well. It is the people who give us a sense of place, a place that is home. The Village of Peninsula, population 602, celebrates its history as it embraces its future. An interesting place to be.

The Village will celebrate the Peninsula Python Festival on Saturday, July 19. There will be activities, exhibits, contests and special events to commemorate the Peninsula Python. Join us. We’ll have fun. I promise.

****Thanks to Amanda, of the Peninsula Library and Historical Society, for her assistance and generosity in sharing resources, knowledge and time.

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Post a comment and I will enter your name in the high-tech drawing, where I pick a number from a hat; and, you, too, could join Sam, Travis, and the newest member of the Posse, Barrie, as members of the Peninsula Python Posse (and you will win cool stuff, too!).

Amarillo’s own favorite son, Travis Erwin, is the Chief Marauder and founder of My Town Monday. Check it out. You’ll connect with towns all over this beautiful blue planet.

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15 comments »

Travis Erwin said,

June 29, 2008 @ 11:24 am

Love the video. I can’t imagine doing that kind of labor for thirty cents a day and whiskey.

Sam said,

June 29, 2008 @ 3:07 pm

Pennisula python festival sounds like something to go to for lots of fun!!

patti abbott said,

June 29, 2008 @ 7:50 pm

Love that buildings still stand from earlier eras. Continuity in your life.

Mary Ann said,

June 29, 2008 @ 8:23 pm

The festival sounds like fun! I lived in Pennsylvania one summer during college and loved it. Beautiful countryside.

Mary Nix said,

June 29, 2008 @ 9:31 pm

Peninsula, The Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Canal are really Ohio treasures.

I loved the video!

Barbara Martin said,

June 29, 2008 @ 10:25 pm

I, too, loved the video. Sometimes I think we forget about all the people who put the United States and Canada together in the early years. This was a good reminder of that. Excellent post!

Linda / Lyndi said,

June 30, 2008 @ 12:33 pm

Interesting post. In the old days, the canals were a very big deal since it was easier to travel by water than by land. This reminded me of the canal sequence in a very old Western movie called “How The West Was Won”. It starts out on the Erie Canal. You live in a very interesting place. Enjoy the Python Festival.

Linda

preTzel said,

June 30, 2008 @ 4:15 pm

Very cool video and commentary. I can not imagine working that hard for only .30 a day. My hats off to those that came before us and slaved away to make our paths easier.

Alyssa Goodnight said,

June 30, 2008 @ 4:17 pm

I loved the ditty! Projects like these always amaze me. Thanks for sharing!

Eryl Shields said,

June 30, 2008 @ 8:55 pm

I look forward to hearing all about the python festival. For such a small place there is certainly a lot going on!

Cathy said,

June 30, 2008 @ 10:10 pm

I’d be there if I could! Who could pass up a Python Festival?!!

fromskilledhands said,

June 30, 2008 @ 11:17 pm

Travis– The workers of those days worked long and hard. I wonder what the wage would be valued in today’s dollar.

thanks for stopping by, Sam. The festival should be great. Let me know when your son brings your package to you.

Patti–many of those buildings were slated for the wrecker’s ball. It is truly a gift that they are still standing. That is a story for another post.

Good to see you, Mary Ann. Where in PA did you live?

Mary–I was thrilled when I found the video! The Village, Park and the Canal really ARE treasures. We are so fortunate to have them.

Barbara–The people who worked so hard to put together our countries, most of whom are nameless, are owed so much. They worked hard—for $.30 and whiskey.

Peninsula has such a rich history, Linda.
The River, the Canal and the railroad were so important.

Good to see you here, preTzel. Thanks for commenting, and welcome to MTM.

Alyssa, thanks for stopping by. Foster Brown, the man who sang the song in the video, is an historical interpreter for the Cleveland MetroParks.

Eryl–I am amazed at the amount of things that our little Village has going on. Lots of people love it here, and work to celebrate and preserve it.

Cathy–if you come, you can visit both Kelly and me. Happy Birthday

sarah morgan said,

July 1, 2008 @ 1:04 pm

I love these My Town Monday posts. This one was very interesting and I imagined myself riding along one of those old canal tow paths on my bike.

I was once going to do a bike trip like that down the East coast, staying in nice warm B&Bs along the way, of course. I’m sure *they* would be more than 30 cents a night.

Thank you for your visit to my blog, by the way. Isn’t it interesting how the world is made so much closer with the help of the Internet. I feel like I just had a small trip to Ohio.

Cheers from Costa Rica

From Skilled Hands » Did Somebody Say Food? said,

July 2, 2008 @ 8:33 am

[...] My Town Monday: Of Men and Boats [...]

Mary Witzl said,

July 12, 2008 @ 12:42 pm

I love this sort of history. It is fascinating to learn about the people who came before us, who put so much into building the railroads and highways we now take for granted.