Photo Gallery "Weigh Lock Mural"

Saturdays are always busy around here. I never know who will be stopping by or if my hubby and I will go to town or if we'll be working on a project around the house. I considered not doing ANYTHING on my blog over the weekend, but I've decided to post some of my collection of pictures.They may be of our family or scenic places around our state or others interesting photos I've collected.




This is a mural of a weighing lock in Syracuse, New York, on the Erie Canal. Last summer, my husband and I visited The Erie Canal Museum. It was very interesting. As the barges went up and down the canal, they would stop at these stations. The boats would be directed into a small lock. The water would be drained, with the boat resting on a cradle. Each boat had its owned designated weight. This was subtracted to assess the amount of cargo it was carrying and thus value the toll it must pay.

Since I was researching the use of the canal for transporting slaves to Canada, I realized that not only was the owner risking his business and the law to aid these slaves, he was also paying extra taxes. As the boat was weighed, any people on board would get off (except, of course, the hidden slaves). Their weight would be have to be included with the cargo.