Photo Essay: Part 3- On Our Way to the Lake

As time slides along its inexorable path, we humans do not realize the history we may witness, and which we fail to record. The events of today are the history of tomorrow but we do not recognize it until much later.

Thus begins the preface to a very good book called The Champlain Canal: Mules to Tugboats by Captain Fred G. Godfrey. I bought this book at the history fair last fall. The statement is very true from my point of view. I hope this blog, keeping my diary, & introducing you & my daughter to local history are ways of documenting that history that night be lost

 The finale of our Champlain Barge Canal excursion happened in late October. Luckily the weather cooperated on all those Mondays.

Sediment dredged from the Hudson River is placed in these vessels^

The image above is slightly north of Lock 7 in Fort Edward, NY. This is where the Champlain Barge Canal leaves the Hudson River entirely behind on its path to Lake Champlain.

Historic marker at the aqueduct in Fort Edward, NY

The aqueduct in Fort Edward, just north of the Old Fort House, on the opposite side of US Route 4 is really beautiful, even if dilapidated. Further north there is an apartment building that used to house mules for changing out.

Part of the old aqueduct & junction locks in Fort Edward, NY

Panoramic view of lock 8 on the Champlain Barge Canal in Fort Edward*

Fiona took these shots with a panoramic feature on her iPod. She wanted to use them in her photo essay, but we couldn't get a decent print copy.

Panoramic view of Lock 9 on the Champlain Barge Canal in Smith's Basin*

Canal park- Old locks in Fort Ann, NY

The doors of the lock at Lock 10 in Comstock*

Lock 10 is located in Comstock, NY. In the photograph below you can see the red barn and other buildings of the Washington Correctional Facility compound. My father, Iliff W. Dolton, Jr. worked at this NY State medium-security prison for over 20 years.

Washington Correctional Facility as seen from Lock 10*

Lock 12 of the Champlain Barge Canal is in Whitehall, NY & is at the base of Lake Champlain. During the summer months it can be quite busy, but it was pretty quiet with the spent fall foliage. (Did you notice? There is no Lock 11. It was deemed unnecessary & never built.)

NY State & NY Canal Corporation flags fly over Lock 12

Sign for safety at Champlain Barge Canal Lock 12 in Whitehall, NY

By the time we hit the last lock in Whitehall, NY we were a bit silly. Well, I guess we tend to be a bit silly most of the time, especially when we are traveling, & singing in the car.

Fiona caught me acting goofy at Lock 12*

Fiona took a selfie at Lock 12*

Thank you for coming on Fiona & I on our adventure. I hope you plan one soon!


* These photographs were taken by Fiona A. Dolton-Coons on her iPod 5 in October 2013. None of these were used in her final photo essay for JAC.

^This photograph was taken Fiona A. Dolton-Coons on her iPod 5 in October 2013. It was used in her final photo essay for JAC.

*** UPDATE: On March 1, 2014, Fiona was awarded First Place in the Junior American Citizens Photo Essay "Honoring Our Heritage" by the NY State DAR. ***