GPS- 43.050895, -76.148949
The mystique of the young lad walking along side the canal boat
has been ingrained in our collective memories through art and son.
This is a statue titled "Mule & Driver" that is installed
across from the Weighlock Building
Created by Tom Tischler in 1987, the texture and detail on this piece
"Mule & Driver" is amazing...a detail of the mule's harness.
"Mule & Driver" is amazing...a detail of the mule's harness.
Mules pulled the boats, often in teams, before boats were motorized.
This is was only possible because the canal, by design,
This is was only possible because the canal, by design,
had no current the mules had to pull against.
So why Mules?
Three Reasons:
1- Mules could easily fit on a packet boat for the night in their own stall. They could also get out of the weather if the weather took a turn for the worse.
2- Mules ate half the feed of horses: Less food to pack, more room for cargo!
3- While horses loved you and would go and extra mile or two for you then drop dead from exhaustion, Mules did not love you. They would stop after about 15 miles on the towpath, i.e. 15 miles on the Erie Canal. Union rules, they were done for the day!
Sometimes it was young boys who were mule drivers.
But often it was a family ordeal!
Some drivers were young, some were older
One boy's experience
And you could be a girl!
Also, during the canal's lifetime, the term hoagie was not used for them.
It was later term. They were referred to as drivers.
It was later term. They were referred to as drivers.
Getting a boat to go through the canal, over aqueducts, through locks,
and keeping the boat from colliding with others,
all the while keeping your cargo safe and on a timely pace to its destination took skill!
And so we tip our hats to this duo...
without which, boats would have gone nowhere!
And head onto our next stop...
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