Hi Dave. I just happened upon this documentary. I was extremely pleased to see the excellent job that you did with this topic. I'm glad that you were as objective as you were. Without bringing in a lot of provincial prejudices. Absolutely excellent!
In the mid 80’s my brother and I were able to take a paddle boat from forestport to boonville on the black river canal. It was one of the highlights of my childhood.
My Great-grandmaw was born in 1875, my Grandpaw was born in 1905. They were both living while this canal was in operation. My Great-grandmaw passed in the early seventies, she lived to see the space age. History is not as long ago as we think.
After the paper mill shut down me and my buddies used to drive all the way from Rome to exsplore it and it was worth it. It looked like they just got up and left I found a beer chip in one of the lockers to a bar in Rome that’s still open I find that very interesting
I had the pleasure of knowing Pete Cecere when he lived in Reston, VA in the 1990's. He and my dad were both USIA officers, and I was so happy to watch this film, and remember his ecentric nature, and his immense capacity for kindness and humor.
My father is in this documentary and I’m so proud of him. He didn’t get the pleasure of talking in this video but he was shown working in it consistently.. I have even more respect for him for doing this dangerous job.
Thank you for the comment. Men like your father keep America's infrastructure standing. These hard working men are important. This documentary was made to honor their legacy. Without them, there would be no bridges standing.
When I was a boy my favorite summertime activity was swimming behind the Hawkinsville Dam, a few miles outside Boonville. We had a place on Moose River Road and I would wander in the woods, collecting remnants of the old logging industry. I had quite a collection of rusty wagon parts. My older brother had a summer job as a teenager clearing the locks on a section of the Canal, and I just sent him the link to this video. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it, as I did! Now I need to go read the book on the Forestport Breaks. Thank you!
All of these Canals were inspired by President George Washington and the now famous (rather infamous at the time) Great Falls, Virginia Canal Project...the difference being all of these Canals upon Upstate New and a very important one upon Downstate New York which effectively created New York City were for one purpose and one purpose only namely *"support a Railroad Network"* (which would later include The Telegraph Network which would be invented in the USA.) This Design was ultimately *HUGELY* successful creating the largest Railroad to ever exist in the New York Central with Terminus at Grand Central Terrminal in Mid-town Manhattan and allowing for New York City to become the Financial Capital of the World on or about 1900-present. Hard to overstate the importance of this History therefore so *AWESOME* work here!
Kinda weird the section of the man and his family. Just seems so out of place lol the wife just seems so done with him and he just doesnt give af He even said he pretended to be hurt still so she would give him sponge baths for an extra month. The women even started crying cause she said he has nothing to give her and its been like that for 15+ years💀
I own and operate a sand blasting company, this is what we aspire to accomplish 🙏. What a fantastic and excellently done documentary❗️ thanks for putting it together and sharing it with us‼️
That one guy talking about "When you look down". 30+ years on a suspension bridge and I don't look down. Several times we've had night jobs where below the plank it's pitch black and that is SUPER weird. You don't "look down" that much in general, but those nights when "down" does not exist is just freaky
Just when I feel like our country is going down the drain, these Americans give me hope that we will overcome. Great film, my hats off to all the bridge workers who keep us safe.
I always camped and hand out beside the Hocking canal. When I was 18 it really didn't mean much. It was cool but had no idea the work that went into building it.
I know Steve F they talked to a few times. Dude is BEAT UP. This job isn’t for the weak! I built scaffold in chemical plants and that job doesn’t even come close to comparing! Love y’all
The canal was a big deal for Boonville and north, but my experience with it was in Rome, living on Wright Settlement Rd near Ridge Mills. We played under the bridge over both the Mohawk and the remains of the canal. Also in the ruins of the mill that pumped water from the river to a the city reservoir nearby (was this one of the 'Ridge Mills'? what were the others?). I was selfishly hoping the film would describe more of the scene of the canal on Rome, but wow, what an awesome accomplishment.
To think that any of these canals, (especially the Erie Canal) was dog by Irish immigrants huh? with pick axe and shovel ,horse and wagons? People have (by design) lost their ability to reason. Let go of all beliefs and learn to think again. There was much more in the way of architecture than is ever depicted in photos here. Glorious buildings, canals of course and a street grid that was in place in all the cities in the world (including Booneville) long before 1800. That is a simple fact. No one has ever told us where all the f-ing mud came from either. (@48:28 - 49:14 for instance) Look at the street. All cobblestone beneath that mud with outstanding curbs sidewalks to the sides. Pick ax ,shovel horse and buggy? Wow Those Irish must have brought their women with them to help with such a herculean task. Lol. I always knew there was no way to have built that Erie canal as we are told they did in 7 yrs? One would be hard pressed to see the waterlines replaced in their town over the next 100 yrs.. these seemingly impossible stories are just that. One Giant Lie For Mankind! Research Mudfloods and the catastrophic events that happened in early 1800's and changed the face of nature worldwide. You wont find any of it in your encyclopedias It was a glorious world back then. The world is a pos now. Thanks for the video!
They would have to average 1 mile of canal every 8 days. That is absurd. They wouldn’t be able to even clear cut the land that fast much less construct a mile of canal 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide every 8 days. This is nonsense.
*The original Erie canal was built in 7 years.* It paid for itself during its first ten years of operation!* But the original Erie canal that is also called " *Cllinton's Ditch* " (built 1817 - 1825) is not the same waterway that exists today The "expanded"/ "Improved Erie canal, also (now) called the " *Old Erie Canal* "was began in 1835. It was much larger and deeper than the original 4 foot deep canal. From 1903 - >1918, a huge refitting of the canal was done -- New locks, Longer, wider, deeper channels. This canal was named the *Barge* *Canal* (modernizations were done up until the 1970's -- When the canal could no longer compete with the Saint Lawrence Seaway) EDIT TO ADD: This canal is still in operation today. In 2014 all of the canals in New York were taken over by the NYS Canal Corporation and returned to their original names: Erie Canal Champlain Canal Oswego Canal Cayuga-Seneca Canal There are bicycling, hiking walking trails along the present canal = *Empire State Trail* and also along the defunct, historic Old Erie Canal and whatever remains (and is accessible of) Clinton's Ditch = *Canalway/Erie Canal Trail.* The trails intersect at some places.
Wow history of New York corruption in politics using water for political purposes. Actually causing the death of people to make money. Causing destruction of infrastructure to have a job. Yes it sounds like New York had domestic terrorism even back then. Let's see if RU-vid lets me post that. New York has been corrupt forever
In Europe, especially England, there has been an ongoing effort to preserve their extensive canal system. This has resulted in a much tourism. A large number of people now own canal boats and travel on these canals.
@ chrisconklin 2981 That is true in NY state too. There is an entire canal network along what was once called "The Barge Canal" (after the upgrades of 1903 - 1918) Now the entire system of working canals in NY state is called the *New York State Canal System* [1][2] with each canal being renamed to its original name. Some of the original paths of the Erie canal now have the old towpaths turned into recreational biking and hiking trails, with picnic areas near some of the old locks. In other areas where the original canal replaced local streams; there is still water flowing and paths alongside the original channel. These places are part of the *Empire Trail* [3][4][5] The reason that some offshoots of the original Erie canal as well as other canal systems were closed is that the lock systems were too expensive to remain The Black River canal --It never reached its final section from Carthage, NY down to Sackett's Harbor (on Lake Ontario) There are other canals abandoned for the same reason, a lack of traffic, or a canal that is a dead-end. After the railways became common many little-used, non-upgraded canals were abandoned. Canals are expensive to maintain in northern USA because of winter snow, frost, ice. Many of these towns have museums dedicated to the time when a canal was operating in the area. Within the Adirondack (Mountains) Parks there is a place called the *Fulton Chain of Lakes* [6][7] that are connected; but these are *not* part of the New York State Canal System; these are just lakes that are connected or very close together. Small boats are canoes, kayaks, etc. are used. This is a very popular vacation spot. 1) *New York State Canal System* (website) www.canals.ny.gov/ 2.) *New York State Canal System* (about-Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Canal_System 3.) *Empire State Trail* (website) empiretrail.ny.gov/ 4.) *Empire State Trail* (Interactive map) empiretrail.ny.gov/map 5.) *Empire State Trail* (about Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Trail 6.) *Fulton Chain of Lakes Association* (website) fultonchainoflakesassociation.org/boating/index.html 7.) *Fulton Chain of Lakes* (about Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_Chain_of_Lakes
