A My Town Monday Post: Can You Dig It?
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, and vestiges of the canal are still visible. Some of the locks are still there, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park has a working lock at the Canal Visitor Center. 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.
As always feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve been by. If you choose to leave a comment, I’ll enter your name in a drawing for a beautiful book about the Cuyahoga Valley.
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Travis Erwin said,
August 29, 2010 @ 11:38 pm
I got you added over at MTM site.
Have you shown us that video before. I seem to recall that tune.
Terrie Farley Moran said,
August 30, 2010 @ 12:08 pm
Fascinating–and I love the video and especially the song. Terrie
Barrie Summy said,
August 31, 2010 @ 1:49 am
Very, very interesting details. Happy Monday!
Kim Ayres said,
August 31, 2010 @ 7:44 pm
(o)
OldOldLady Of The Hills said,
September 1, 2010 @ 2:26 am
This is really wonderful Debra…There is so much History in this area and in your sweet town of Peninsula. I am always amazed to read the population is only 602!
Wondeful Video, by the way…..!
David Cranmer said,
September 1, 2010 @ 3:03 pm
Very interesting video. Thanks.
MaryWitzl said,
September 2, 2010 @ 1:55 pm
I love this sort of local history — the unsung heroes who built the infrastructure of the U.S. We should remember how hard they worked and for how little, and how completely multi-cultural they were: Chinese, African, Irish, etc. I’d love to see those locks!
Lana said,
September 3, 2010 @ 3:32 pm
This blog reminds me of the early history of the Welland Canal (which grants access from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario without having to deal with Niagara Falls, between them.) It’s amazing to think of horses pulling the boats through. Humans are incredibly industrious creatures, y’know?