The Erie Canal

While we were in Northwestern New York, we saw lots of signs dealing with the Erie Canal. I was quite interested and wanted to check it out. I had rusty memories of grade school history and even two songs that we had learned in relation to the canal.

Oh the E-R-I-E was a-rising, and the gin was a getting low,

I scarcely think, I'll get a drink, till I get to Buffalo

 

and

Low bridge, Everybody down,

Low Bridge, We're coming to a town

 

Excerpts of both which I sang to Cindy. Be glad you weren't there.

It was cool to look at some of the remnants of the canal. It peaked both our interests in brushing up our knowledge of the canal and what it represented. I got a little book that we both looked through. It was quite fascinating. It was first proposed in the 1700's. It wasn't built until 1817. It cost over 7 million dollars even back then. It was 363 miles long, 83 locks, 18 aqueducts and 300 bridges. It was enlarged between 1835 to 1862, at a cost of 28 million. But it was a huge success. It cut an arduous trip of 4 to 6 weeks, down to 6 days. It opened a path from New York City and the Hudson river all the way to Lake Erie. The building of the canal initiated the profession of civil engineering in this country.

The advent of trains in the area was the final demise of the canal, but it operated from 1807 until the early 1900's, about 100 years. Here is a replica of a small canal boat..

A part of the canal that has been preserved for history. For years, the boats were towed along the "tow path" by a group of three mules. There were regular spots along the way to change out mules, or teams were loaded and unloaded from the boats. Eventually steam boats replaced the mules.

Locks were needed to move up or down, in elevation, all the way to Lake Erie. A boat would enter a lock, one at a time. The water would start out at the same level as where the boat entered. Then the water was either raised or lowered, to the level of the canal beyond the lock. And the boat would then proceed at this new level. It took only about 15 minutes for boats to get through a lock. In Lockport, where the Niagara escarpment was, it took 5 locks in a row to get the boats up and down.

This was lock 29 that we visited.

 This is in the town of Fairport, NY. They also have some of the canal preserved. In other places the canal is now a road or is completely obliterated. The canal was an important part of the westward expansion of the USA.

 Just trying to get a photo of this squirrel. He didn't ever stop, so ended up with this fun photo.

Church History sites

We were lucky that a few Church history sites were near by. We took a drive to see them. The Palymyra Temple.

 The Joseph Smith homestead at the Sacred grove.

 The Sacred Grove.

 The Hill Cumorah.

 So this is freshly mowed and really steep. How do you mow something that steep?

Eastman House

Cindy and I went to Rochester and visited the George Eastman house. George Eastman is the man behind the Eastman Kodak company. Quite a story it is too, rags to riches.

Before we toured the house, there was an interesting exhibit on early photography.

 The home is 3 stories, 50 rooms. We were able to tour the first and second floors. His father died when he was 7. He quit school at 12 to help support his mom and sister. He started making metal puzzles for kids. Had a few other jobs as he grew. He planned a vacation and someone suggested he take photographs. He learned how, and became fascinated. It was very time consuming and expensive to do though. So he committed to invent an easy way for everyone to be able to take pictures.

 The dining room. He was also quite a philanthropist. He gave a total of 30 million dollars to 4 different colleges at this table. He was also a great employer, making sure that his employees had health insurance and benefits. He also did all he could to keep his company and employees in Rochester to help the town.

 This was the atrium in the center of the house. He used it for product launches, concerts and parties. A few years after the house was built, he decided the room was too small. The house was cut in half top to bottom and moved 9 feet over to make more room. They lived in the house while this was going on.

 This is a big pipe organ used for concerts. the pipes are hidden.

 The billiards room had a men's club feel to it. He thought of  lot of small touches, like putting the couch on a raised platform to be able to watch the action. The platform opened to store pool cues and supplies.

 These raccoon pelts are from an area he took over for a factory. The area had a lot of tenant farmers on it. Instead of just kicking them off, he trained them in various trades and helped integrate them into the company.

 He was a big game hunter and there were various trophies in evidence. Although he was in love a couple of times, George Eastman never married.

 This blanket chest was a gift from the Russian Government in thanks for opening a factory there.

 The grand staircase.

 The parlor

 His desk.

 A portrait of the man himself. He committed suicide at 73. He had his affairs in order and didn't want to be a burden.

 His mother lived with him. This was her dressing table. She only lived in the big house a couple of years before she passed away. She was an invalid the last few years.

 Her hat boxes.

 Cindy and I both got to sit with the man himself before we were done.

 He had ingenious marketing plans. He marketed the brownie camera to children, using  a familiar figure from children's stories. So they would be used to using the cameras. The cameras were inexpensive. He made money on the sale and development of film.

 The gardens.

Dare Devil Museum and Imax

On our second evening, we went to the Imax theatre and saw an interesting movie all about the falls, the history and those who have gone over. We learned a lot. Off the lobby, was the dare devil museum. They had a lot of the barrels and specialized containers that people have gone over the falls in. I can't even imagine. The first person to do it was a 63 year old retired school teacher, a lady, who went in a barrel with her kitten.

Some made it, some did not.

 One of the most amazing stories was in the 60's. A seven year old boy, his 17 year old sister and an uncle were in a little fishing boat above the falls. Their motor stopped working. They quickly started drifting towards the rapids and falls. The kids put on life jackets. The uncle died. The 17 year old girl was somehow plucked from the water's edge 20 feet from the falls. The little boy went over with nothing but his swimming trunks and a life jacket. The maid of the mist was at the bottom and saw him. The plucked him out and somehow he was miraculously unhurt.

 I was so inspired by the stories that I decided to go over too.