Unique tin oil lamp. A wick would have been set inside the spout that connected with the oil that was held in the bottom of the lamp.
This lantern, 24 inches in height, was used on a canal boat. It is believed to be a bow lantern, and it could be hung with the light being reflected forwards. Some canal boats ran at night, particularly if they were attempting to reach a wharf before the competition.
Robert Luther Hebb (1873-1936) of Sharpsburg used this whip while boating on the canal. Captain Bob ran Boat # 28.
This bugle belonged to Robert Luther Hebb (1873 – 1936) of Sharpsburg. The bugle was used to alert the locktender that a boat was approaching the lock, so that the lock was ready to receive a boat. Some boatmen used horns, others shouted, but the purpose was the same - to have the tender at the lock ready to open and close gates and facilitate the passage of the boat on its way.
A snubbing post acts as a brake for boats locking through the canal. When a boat came into the lock a snubbing rope attached to the boat would be thrown out to the lockkeeper who would wrap the rope around the snubbing post. This would slowly stop the boat inside the lock and keep it steady as the lock was either drained or filled with water. This snubbing post was taken from Lock 44 at Williamsport, Maryland.
Mule bridle with blinkers attached to the cheek pieces and a loose ring snaffle bit with clip on reins. This is a typical piece of tack that would have been used on mules pulling canal boats. The blinkers, or blinders, worked to keep the mule focused on the towpath ahead of them.
Wooden bucket buckets such as these could have been used for washing, holding water, collecting produce and various other chores around the lockhouse. The bucket is made of solid wood that had been steamed and molded to create the round bucket shape. The bands are also made of wood as well as the handles.