My Town Monday: Life on the Canal
The Village of Peninsula, current population, 602, was quite a place during the day of the Ohio and Erie Canal.
The men who dug the canal worked long and hard, for little pay.
Men, women and children worked to keep things going—-at a rate of 4 mph, and families would often live together on canal boats.
Peninsula was known to be a rough stop on the Ohio and Erie Canal. Some Captains wouldn’t stop there since fights often broke out; they would stop north or south of the Village.
Captain Pearl R. Nye was one of the last canal boat captains when the canals were destroyed by floods in 1913. His songs were recorded and were archived by the Library of Congress.
You can read more about Captain Nye, and listen to some of his songs here
Although time has passed, the stories of those who carved out a life in the Cuyahoga Valley continue. The legacy of their courage and independent spirits are alive and well in the Village of Peninsula, gently resisting change since 1837.
My Town Monday is a great way to experience life through someone else’s eyes. Travis Erwin, the fearless leader of MTM can sometimes be found here. Lately he’s been elsewhere—I wonder if he wore a hat with ears…..
In his absence, Junosmom, and Chris have been minding the store. Check out their sites, and you’ll have the opportunity to click on links that will take you places you’ve never been…….
A Cups of Kindness update: we’re nearing 14,000 meals for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
