(Cheerful music) Hi, everybody.

Welcome to Providence, Metropark Today, we're going to be taking a trip back in time.

We're going back to the year 1876 here on the Canal Experience.

And you're going to be riding with us on a canal boat.

And that canal boat.

Well, we're going to be telling you a little bit about the Miami and Erie Canal and what it was like to ride on a canal boat back then.

And you'll be going through an original lock, not a rebuilt lock, not a restored lock.

The same lock the boats were going through in 1840 when they passed through this area.

So welcome.

Sit back and enjoy.

(Soft music) All right, let's shove this thing off.

Mr. Monroe- Alright y'all might want to hang on.

We're gonna pick up some speed now.

(Soft music) -Well, hello, everyone.

My name is Josiah White, and I'm a member of the boat crew.

And on behalf of the crew and Captain Doppelbock, we'd like to welcome all of you, to the beautiful Miami and Erie Canal.

To our humble boat, "The Volunteer".

Captain sends his regrets.

He's not able to be with us right now.

He's over in Defiance, working with the farmer to bring about 40 head of hogs on board.

Well, some of you look a little disturbed here.

Well, let me ask, "How many of you are going all the way to Cincinnati with us?"

A few of you are.

"How many of you are getting off in Defiance?

Anybody?

Are you doing that because I told you about the hogs?"

Well, that's all right, because, well, we carry a lot of hogs here in "The Volunteer", and folks are always getting off before the hogs get on.

So we're happy to have you as long as we have you and those of you staying pass Defiance.

Well, a lot of us will probably be riding topside to give those hogs a little bit more room to run.

But there is a special rule for riding topside, and I'll tell you about that in a little bit.

But normally see the captain's on board.

And he's the one who likes to talk to folks like you and tell you about well, about the boat and about the the canal and about some of the things you're likely to encounter on your journey.

But since he is not here, he left it to me.

And, well, I'm going to ask a question that the captain always asks.

"How many of you have indeed ridden a canal boat before?"

A few of you have, but most of you have not.

So I'll have to tell you about the lock, because sometimes when you get locked into that little room in the boat starts moving.

Well, some folks get a little disturbed.

And if I'm able to tell you about it beforehand, you're less likely to get disturbed.

So I will do that for you.

(Guitar strumming) Now, that song was written by a friend of mine, Patti O'Rourke.

Patti and I worked together on the Davenport down the Ohio River for a few years.

And if anybody knows about this canal, it's Patti O'Rourke, because he's one of the fellows who came here in 18 and 37, came from Ireland he did.

To help build this canal.

And oh, he told me stories about it.

He told me one time that they call this the great Black Swamp back then.

And when they were digging this canal, they were sometimes digging in mud and muck clear up to their vest.

And all they had to work with were shovels and picks and wheelbarrows and their own strong backs.

And this is part of the song that he wrote about that Well, that's all the singing I'm going to do for now, because we are getting close to the lock and I promised to tell you about it before we got there.

Normally (calm music) we'd get this close to a lock and we'd be over here in the center of the canal and not hugging side like we are right now.

Now, a few years ago, well, they called it gullied it back then.

Well, the folks over there were upset because the canal didn't go on their side of the river and it came on our side.

So when it came time for them to build this wagon bridge, they decided to show their displeasure by plopping it right down in the middle of our canal.

So now Lock 44 north of Providence Lock, the lock we're going to is the only lock in North America and maybe the world where you have to go in on an angle.

So in just a moment, I believe Mr. Monroe up there.

Yes, there he is.

Mr. Monroe is going to throw our ropes today.

And one of the things he's going to do is going to take a big 12 foot long pole.

And when we get to the end of the bridge there, he's going to give us a shove off the towpath with that pole, try to give us a better angle to get into the lock.

"Now, what's a lock and why do we need it?"

Let me ask you this.

"If you were in your house and you were going to the upper level, or you're going down to the cellar, you'd use stair steps, wouldn't you?"

Well, that's what this lock is.

It's a stair step in the canal.

Now, you need that, because if you started at Cincinnati, or at Toledo, and were going to Cincinnati, you'd be going up over 300 feet.

So you got to the high point in the canal called the Loramie Summit at New Bremen, over 300 feet you'd be going up, and then it Lockington, at the south end of the summit down to the Ohio River in Cincinnati you'd be going down over 500 feet, have to get up and down somehow and that's why we need these locks, these stair steps in the canal.

Now, here at Providence we'll only go up three and a half feet.

That's all the higher we have to go to get to the level of the Maumee River.

The lock itself is nothing more than a little room.

Inside with the gates closed it's 90 feet long, 15 feet wide, plenty big enough for our boat.

And at each end, there are big gates.

Those are called whaler gates or miter gates.

And those gates weigh three and a half tons a piece.

And on top of those gates, oh, oh, look, (chuckles) this looks a little bit like one of those whaler gates.

And now I get to tell the captain's wife that I use the washboard today.

(chuckles) She'll be pleased.

But on top of each of those gates.

Oh, now, don't be disturbed about that.

I know you heard that.

Don't be disturbed about that.

That's just us disconnecting from the mules.

We have to do that in order to get into the lock, it's for the mule safety.

Now, you can see up on top of those whaler gates, there are handles and those handles are attached to gates that are under the water.

They're called wicket gates or paddles.

And those wicket gates, when we turn those handles, the wicket gates is going to turn sideways just like that.

And that's what lets the water in and out of our lock.

"You see how close we are to this lock?"

We're very close.

There's only a few inches between this 12 and a half ton boat and that lock wall.

And when we let the water into this lock, this boat's going to move backwards and forwards and sideways, and it'll hit one wall, maybe two, maybe more than once.

We never know, it's always different.

But if your hand is outside this boat, when it hits the lock wall, it's going to break your hand.

Nobody wants that.

So best thing to do, just keep your hands and your heads inside the boat.

(Upbeat music) There are three types of stone in the lock.

The very top layer, the one that you see us walking on, that's a quartz sandstone.

Came from the Peninsula area of Ohio.

Down below that, you'll see four levels of nicely cut limestone.

It's even decorated, has little dimples in it.

But those four levels of nicely cut limestone that are always above the water.

Those came from Marblehead and Kelleys Island.

They brought them up the Maumee River on flat bottomed boats as far as they could, and then by wagon the rest of the way.

But down below the waterline, there's about another ten feet of water down below this boat right now.

And all of the limestone that's below the waterline was quarried from the bottom of the Maumee River right across from us here.

The thought at the time was that limestone had been sitting underwater for thousands of years and it would hold up better under water in the lock than this dry stuff they pulled out of the ground at Marblehead.

That is the original lock.

It was Lock 9 on the Wabash and Erie Canal.

Lock 44 North on the Miami and Erie Canal.

But to the boatmen who worked in it since 1840, it was always the Providence Lock.

It's the same lock the boats were going through in 1840 when they opened up that inlet at the Providence Dam and filled this canal all the way to Toledo.

But this was only one of two major canals here in Ohio.

(Upbeat music continues) Mules would work a six hour shift like everybody else in the boat.

Now, sometimes if you were only going a short distance, you'd have one set of mules.

You'd switch them out at the lock and take another set back.

Now, six hours is important because a mule can go eight to ten hours without getting tired.

A canal boat day went from three or four in the morning until ten or eleven at night.

And so you're always going in the early morning, always going after dark.

But a boat could go 24 hours on this canal because they didn't close it.

(Lively music) Now, folks, remember I told you that we had to disconnect from the mules in order to get into the lock?

Well, we have to get out of there somehow.

So Mr. Bodie and Mr.

Box from the mill are pulling us out.

You can see if they're able to pull us out, get us up to speed by the time we hit the end of the lock and get connected back to the mules, those mules are not working as hard as you might think they are.

They'd be working a lot harder, pulling a plow in a farmer's field than pulling our old canal boat.

Remember going into the Providence Lock here, it was unusual because we had to go in on an angle, but we're going to be going into the lock the next lock up, a little bit unusual, too.

Now, that lock is called the Bucklin Lock and right about, oh, maybe 3/8 of a mile from where we are right now is the Providence Dam.

Now, they made the Providence Dam to create what they call a slack water.

And that slack water is like a reservoir on the river, and it had to be big enough and have enough water in it to feed the canal the entire 30 miles all the way to Toledo.

So for 30 miles, that's the only water source for the canal.

Now, a little ways up here we're going to pass under a low bridge and then we'll go around a bend.

And then there's a high bridge.

That's a mule bridge, a change bridge.

Mules are going to take that bridge over to the north towpath and then they'll pull us from there.

And they have to do that because they're going to pull us right out onto the Maumee River.

Where the water comes in to the canal, we're going out and those mules are going to pull us along the north shore of the Maumee River for a mile and a quarter until we get to the Bucklin Lock and we can get back into the canal proper.

(Banjo playing) Back a number of years ago when the railroads were first starting in this country, Andy Jackson was President.

One day Mr. Jackson was talking to his Vice President, Martin Van Buren, about the railroad trains.

Mr. Van Buren said to him, he said, "Sir, you have these big steam engines that are carrying carriages behind them that have people in them, and those big steam engines out of their smokestacks they're spewing smoke and ash and embers to catch fire to the fields."

Besides, he said, "At 35 miles an hour, the Almighty never intended for people to go that fast."

And I believe him because you just look out here right now, you see this beautiful Ohio countryside just gliding right by us, it's because we're traveling at a safe and prudent four miles an hour.

Now, the speed limit on the canal is only five, so we'll never go much faster than this.

And another thing, they would charge you to ride on that railroad train up to 15 cents a mile.

And for that princely sum, you get to bring your own food on board and sleep sitting up.

That's no way to travel.

Here in "The Volunteer", we charge three cents a mile.

Pay your tolls out of that, too, so you never have to pay another nickel to the state of Ohio for the privilege of riding on their canal.

Also, you get two meals a day.

You get breakfast and supper here in the boat.

What a supper we have for you to wait until I tell you about supper.

It's going to be one of the finest suppers you've had on any canal boat anywhere in these United States and it's...

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Pardon me.

So you get two meals a day and you get a fine place to sleep.

(Horn blows twice) -Got a low bridge coming.

Now, here in "The Volunteer", you happen to want to take your weekly bath.

We'll just toss you some lye soap.

Open up the door.

You can hop right out, wash up, come back and clean as a whistle.

(laughter) Well, don't look at me like that.

It's only four feet deep.

Now, I recognize there are some on this boat right now who are not four feet tall, but that is not a matter of concern because we'll just tie a rope to you so we don't lose you and you can hop out and wash up to.

Now that folks, that's comfort and convenience and you don't get that on a railroad train.

(Guitar strumming) Now you heard that horn a minute ago.

I should tell you about that, because we're coming up on a low bridge and we do blow that horn for two main reasons.

One is when we get about a quarter mile from a lock, we blow that horn, that lets the lock master know we're coming.

That way he can, he can open the gates for us and we can glide right in, just like we did at Providence.

The other reason is when there's a low bridge, because if you're riding topside, you remember I told you there's a rule for riding topside.

Well, this is it.

Because when you're riding up there, you're not paying attention to what's ahead of us.

You might be reading a book, might be writing a letter to a loved one.

You might just be talking to folks who have a fishing line in the canal, but you're not paying attention to what's ahead that's why we blow the horn, get your attention.

(Horn blows twice) And then we call bridge.

So you know what's coming up.

-Got a low bridge coming.

And when you hear us call bridge or low bridge, you need to lay down flat.

It is very important that you lay down flat.

So on a boat like this, our boat is 60 feet long.

The canal is 40 feet wide, minimum 40 feet wide, 28 feet in the center, minimum four feet deep.

(Cheerful music) Oh, those are two mighty fine looking mules.

Look at them.

In fact, they look a lot like our mules.

Wait a minute those are our mules.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

Oh, no, folks, I. Folks, I apologize for this inconvenience, but it appears we're turning around and it's illegal to turn around on the old canal here.

It's illegal because we might get mudlarked or stuck.

And if we get mudlarked well, all of us will have to be running back and forth here on the deck to jar us loose.

And if that doesn't work, we'll have to get out and push.

Nobody wants that.

(laughter) now what I'm looking for here, I'm looking to see if there is a fellow with a big stovepipe hat on like Abe Lincoln used to wear.

And I don't see him.

He's usually carrying a shovel and a stick.

And that's the Towpath Walker.

And if he saw what we were doing here, he'd stop us, get on board.

And since I'm on deck, he'd fine me seven dollars.

Seven dollars!

I only make ten dollars a month here on the boat.

I don't have that kind of money.

(Joyful music) Folks, I'm going to get to the bottom of this.

I promise you.

Oh, Mr. Monroe.

-Yes, sir.

-There's one thing that I can think of that would make this day even better.

-Were you talking about pie by any chance?

-There's two things that I can think of that would make this day even better and pie is one of them.

-Oh pie is indeed one of them.

What would be the other thing?

-We're still going to Cincinnati -What makes you say that?

-Because Cincinnati is that way and we're going that way.

-Yeah, y'all caught that turn then, huh?

-They certainly did.

Look at him They're irate.

-I was kind of hoping they would He looks real mad, right there.

That's a big old mad smile right down there.

-He's being polite.

-Well, you don' caught us, sir.

I do.

I apologize for this.

We do have turn around and.

And Mr. Bodie and I.

We apologize for it, sir.

We really do.

-What's so important that we have to turn around?

-You know, I'm glad you ask, cause I don't think it's all my fault this time.

Now, now, you know how I like to put molasses on my my hardtack?

You know, at night time.

Well, we was sitting back there talking about food.

We got to talk about molasses, and then.

Well, well we kind of realize that.

Oh, hold on one second.

What we talking about again?

-Molasses.

-So I like that molasses right, in a well, we got to talkin' about all that and we realize, well, I hate to say it, but we forgot three barrels of molasses back there at Kimble's Landing.

That's right.

That's right.

We got to go back.

You know what's going to happen if we don't get 'em?

-It's going to that confectioner in Defiance.

-Yes, sir, it is.

You know what happens when we get to Defiance, we don't have that molasses on board.

-That puts us in a mighty sticky situation.

-That does put us in a sticky situation.

So here's what's going on.

We've just got to turn around right quick.

We're going to go back there, pick up that molasses, and then we're going to be back in Defiance by the end of the day.

So no worries.

No, no worries at all.

Well, hang on.

Hang on one second.

There actually is one more worry.

And unfortunately, it's that bridge back there, that's a half mile from the landing.

And you know what that means?

-No...means I'm going to have to tell them about the captain's rule.

-I'm afraid so.

But you know what?

I can't think of anyone better than you because you, sir, are one of the most eloquent man I ever met.

And even with the guitar, you can maybe even sing it to 'em.

I don't know, that's up to you.

I'm going to leave it to you.

But I do apologize for this folks.

But I promise yah we're going to have you in Defiance by the end of the day.

That's guaranteed, guarantee that.

Well folks.

I do apologize for this inconvenience.

But, you know, there's a bright spot to everything.

You know, I've read in two newspapers over the past two years that this section of the Miami and Erie Canal that we're riding on right now is the most beautiful section of the Miami and Erie Canal and one of the most beautiful sections of canal anywhere in North America and maybe the world.

So it pays to see it twice.

(Calming music) Captain has a rule that if you ride a mile, you pay for a mile.

And since we're going a half mile back to the landing and to pick up that molasses and then back to the where we turned around, I am going to have to charge you an extra three cents.

I do apologize for that.

And.

Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

I was going to tell you about supper.

I was going tell you about supper.

Wait'll I tell you about supper, because this is going to be one of the finest suppers that you've had on any canal boat anywhere in these United States.

And it is, "what's a matter, what's the matter?"

And oh, (laughter) I apologize, folks, this polecat is not supper.

That's not supper.

That's breakfast.

Now, this supper right here, this little fella's a muskrat.

Now you'll see muskrats all over the place here in the canal.

They swim up and down and back and forth.

But the problem with muskrats is not the swimming.

Problem with muskrats is they like to burrow into those towpaths.

And when they burrow into the towpath, that will weaken the towpath, and when you get a big gully wash of rain like we've had last few days, you get, well, that towpath could wash right out.

And if the towpath washes out, the mules can't go.

And if the mules can't go, the boats can't go.

And if the boats can't go, they stack up for miles and that's bad for business.

So the state of Ohio has put a bounty on these little fellers.

We catch 'em.

Keep the pelts, give him to an agent down the line.

He'll give us up to a nickel apiece on behalf of the state of Ohio for each one of these pelts.

Now there is one more thing that I should probably tell you folks about.

And, well, you're a smart bunch.

You probably already noticed that there's no necessary on board this boat.

"So what do you do when nature calls?"

Captain has provided us with one of the finest chamber pots that money can buy.

Now, using a chamber pot in the canal boat is a little different than using it in the comfort of your own home.

So you'll pick it up, up here in the center.

You take it up to the tilt deck for some privacy and then when you finished, you bring it back down the steps.

Careful, you don't slosh it and spill it, and then you bring it over here to the towpath side of the boat.

Pardon me.

Sorry.

Bring it over here to the towpath side of the boat and you'll empty it out.

Now, the towpath side of the boat is the side of the boat where the mules are walking.

So if you ever forget, you just look outside there, "you see those mules?"

You empty that out and set it right back here for the next person to use.

Now I'm going to go back up topside.

We're getting close to the lock, I'm going back topside for just a moment to make sure that we haven't forgotten anything other than those barrels of molasses.

And I'll be right back.

You forgot molasses.

- I'm so sorry about that, sir, especially since I think about molasses all the time.

I do, makes me hungry.

Welcome back.

I hope you enjoyed your trip down the Miami and Erie Canal with us.

And well, I hope you learned a little something, too, so I hope you'll come and visit us.

We're open May through October, here at Providence Metropark.

Sally and Molly greeted the day smelling coffee, Johnny cakes and a bale of hay.

They're rested and ready and full of pep.

Cincinnati gets closer, step by step.

Hitch 'em up, let 'em go.

Those good ol' mules walk real slow, but they'll get you where you want to go on this Ohio canal.

(guitar strumming) Ohio learns 360 is made possible through a partnership of the Ohio PBS stations and the Ohio Department of Education, offering free PBS resources for out-of-school programs and serving students in grades K through five.

Learn more at Ohio Learns 360 dot org.

(Music)