Members of the Taylor Family, who lived at the lockhouse at lock 49 for four generations, with friends. The warehouse in the background sat across the flume of lock 49 and was operated by the Jacques family, then the Prathers until the early 20th century. The small shack next to it was a waiting shanty that canal boatmen could wait in while their boat locked through.
Sam Taylor, Lockkeeper at Four Locks, 1889-1924
Three generations shared the house with him. Fonrose Taylor, Jr. was the last family member to live in the lockhouse until 1971. This was the only lockhouse for the four locks, 47-50.
Previous lockkeepers were Daniel Brewer July 1839-Dec. 1848; John S. Moore Dec 1850; and Thomas Mouse, Andrew Hammond, and Jacob Mills were all listed in the 1860 census as lockkeepers in the area (Mastrangelo).
A woman waits on a boat as supplies are loaded while the boat is still at the highest level in the lock. Stores and warehouses such as this one at lock 49 were common along the canal and served as a place for boatmen to stock up on supplies for the week long journey down the canal. Various supplies were sold to the boatmen such as hay, grain, black powder, canned goods and other sundry items.
Two boys sit on this boat that is headed downstream as indicated by the fact that the back of the boat is at the upstream end of the lock. The water has been released from the lock, lowering its level in the lock. When that process is complete and the water in the lock is at the same level as the water in the downstream level of the canal, the large mitre gates at the lower end of the lock will be opened to let the boat out.
Children would sometimes swim in the canal and dive into it from canal boats or other adjacent high points although it was only six feet deep at its deepest. Although in the oral histories there are comments about the clear water in the canal, it is likely that it was polluted to varying degrees at all times. This picture was taken when the boat was tied up and the mules taken out to feed on the tow path from their portable feeding troughs.
The number of boats floating in the background of the picture, along with the landscape in the distance, indicates that this photograph was taken in Cumberland.
This picture was most likely taken at Cumberland in one of the many basins that the canallers would tie their boats. The evidence is the railroad bridge that is in the back ground that has been captured in a multitude of canal photographs.
Boat families would often take advantage of the time between trips to visit each other’s boats and spend time together. This boat must have been on its way back from unloading its freight since it is sitting so high in the water.
TAKING A TURN AT THE TILLER
If there were enough family members to operate a canal boat, the captain would not need to hire any crew. A minimum of three was usually necessary to run a boat, with one person at the tiller, one on the towpath walking with the mules, and one doing the many other things necessary on the boat such as preparing meals and caring for the mules before and after their six-hour “tricks” on the towpath.
This photograph of Canal boat 58 in the canal near Hancock, was taken by Walt Keefer in 1958. The boat had been marooned there when the canal closed.