Think the Erie Canal's commercial use ended in the time we're singing about when we launch off with "I got an old mule, her name is Sal"?
I can't say whether I thought that or not - certainly knew that NY State's canal system was stilll active, but the Erie Canal specifically? Not sure I would've guessed right if you'd asked me.
But now I'd guess right, thanks to another interesting article in the NY Times.
Thought about posting it after I read it during my morning commute last week, but just didn't have much time for blogging. I was reminded of it after yesterday's MWA conference, which I'm glad I was able to attend - fascinating hearing about the challenges & hopes of both recreational & commercial users of our NYC waterways, all at the same time.
I took a lot of notes & hope to write more about that over the weekend, but this article somehow seemed quite relevant to some of things I was hearing about yesterday & I decided that I'd go find it & toss up a quick link here on my lunch break.
I found the mule team postcard on a page featuring one family's history, 157 Years of Life Along the Erie Canal.
Speaking of mules, here's bit of trivia to close - did you know that ships are moved through the Panama Canal with the guidance of special locomotives? In a nice nod to canal history, those locomotives are nicknamed "mules".
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