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This postal depicts a fire alarm tower located where Main Street in Lockport, NY crosses the Erie Canal. The fire station is across the canal to the cameraman's left. The large bell no doubt was used to summon help in the event of a fire; but was the tower also used to detect smoke from fires before telephones were widespread? Incidentally, the bridge under the cameraman's feet was for many years the widest bridge in the world

See also Flight of Five for a reverse view looking instead up the canal gorge and note the position of the tower.
Tags: postal lockport flight tower fire traffic erie canal
Added: 28th October 2007
Views: 160
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Posted By: USPSam

	Manufacturing433 Parts In A Telephone! 1947 A closer than average look at what goes - or went - into making the common telephone in 1947. Tags: telephone manufacturing 1947 Added: 13th November 2007 Views: 76 Rating: Posted By: prelingerfan

PostcardsErie Canal Swing Bridge At Albion - Ca 1900

This bridge over the Erie Canal in upstate New York may not seem unusual at first glance; but the small object at the man's feet - which looks like a bowl sitting upside down - is really a permanent part of the roadway of the bridge. The man appears to be watching for a cue from the canal boat that's just out of view to our left that it's time to open the bridge. The pole in the man's hand will be inserted in the object, and as he walks around in a circle a gear mechanism under the wooden deck will rotate the bridge on the masonry support that's built in the middle of the canal under the center of the bridge.

Why did the State choose a swing bridge for this location? The width of the canal is no greater here than it is elsewhere. There are masonry buildings close to the canal here that made raised approaches difficult. One other possible explanation can be found on this historical marker that stands just a few feet west of the modern lift bridge that replaced this structure during the modern Barge Canal enlargement of 1905-1918.
Tags: erie canal swing bridge albion
Added: 19th November 2007
Views: 171
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Posted By: USPSam

	Agriculture &Amp; FoodsJourney To Banana Land - 1950 A patronizing look at our southern neighbors, and at the coffee and banana growing industries there. Tags: banana coffee latin central south america 1950 Added: 28th November 2007 Views: 80 Rating: Posted By: prelingerfan

	Trans, Air &Amp; SpaceAirport America - 1954 A relaxed 14-minute look at the state of aviation in 1954 America with some pretty nice aerial shots. Produced by NASAO. Tags: airport america 1954 Added: 14th December 2007 Views: 91 Rating: Posted By: prelingerfan

Historical MarkersFriends Meeting House - Quaker Street, NY

New York
FRIENDS
MEETING HOUSE
Erected 1807 Near Site
Of Original Log Structure
1st Preacher - Ezekiel Tripp
Society Organized About 1790
State Education
Department 1932

The little village of Quaker Street, in the Schenectady County town of Duanesburg, is in one of the oldest settlements in this part of New York State. 200 years ago, in 1807, The Religious Society of Friends, whose members are commonly known as Quakers, built the current frame building to replace the previous building, a log structure.

The Quakers, after buying the land from the family of James Duane, began building the meeting house in 1807, probably began using it in 1809, and finished the structure in 1813. It was a Quaker by the name of Job Briggs who paid James C. Duane, son of James Duane, 32 pounds for the two acres of land that became the site of the current meeting house. The building cost close to 550 pounds to build.

This well-preserved two story building has an attic and rests on a field stone foundation with no cellar. It was originally built with no porch and had a dividing- folding partition, through the center of the building, which was raised and lowered by means of pulleys and ropes, because the men and women usually entered and sat on opposite sides of the room. The partitions were removed in 1885. An adjoining carriage shed and burial ground are still on the property.

"The architecture tells you everything you need to know about the Quakers... It's white and gray, very simple and plain, with no embellishment or accoutrements, and that speaks volumes about the Quaker faith. They believe in complete directness, honesty, plainness, with no guile or personality. You’re not supposed to draw attention to yourself." - Art Willis - Quaker and Duanesburg Town Historian

In the photo at the top of the page the historic marker is seen back in place at the edge of Route 7 and in front of the meeting house, after receiving a fresh coat of paint. It had been down for some time after being knocked over by a snow plow last winter.

Other Historic Markers in New York State can be looked up by County Here
Tags: Quaker Street Friends Meeting House Duane Duanesburg
Added: 8th December 2007
Views: 147
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Posted By: Ohlhous

Trans, CanalsErie Canal Lock 23

Enlarged Erie Canal Lock 23 in Rotterdam, NY

History: Enlarged Double Lock No. 23, "Alexander's Lock", was constructed to replace nearby Lock 26, one of 83 "first generation" locks originally built as part of Clinton's Ditch. The overnight success of the Erie Canal proved a mixed blessing. By the end of the first decade of operation the heavy volume of canal traffic was taxing the original system beyond its designed capacity. Single chamber locks quickly proved inadequate as lines of boats waiting to pass formed in both directions. Beginning in 1836 the Canal Commissioners of the State of New York initiated a comprehensive program of system improvements, carried out in stages between 1836 and 1862, which reduced the number of lock from 83 to 72 and doubled their capacity by adding a second chamber at each site in order to allow two-way traffic.

Lock No. 23 was constructed in a double-chamber configuration during this period of the First Enlargement in 1840-1841 and opening to traffic in 1842. Rather than expand the existing Lock 26, as was done at several other locations, a completely new double-chambered lock was built immediately adjacent to the original lock and right-of-way. Lock chambers were built wider and longer, at 18 feet wide by 110 feet in length. Previously they were 15 feet wide by 90 feet long.

Built entirely of large cut limestone blocks laid in a regular ashlar pattern and mortared using hydraulic cement, Lock No.23 raised or lowered boats by 7.89 feet; from a level of 231 feet at the south end to 239 feet at the north end. This lock was of importance to the Erie Canal, and Schenectady, N.Y. in particular, because it was the first lock west of Schenectady, a.k.a., "Gateway to the West", a major transfer point at the west end of the 17-mile portage from Albany around the Cohoes Falls. Many passengers left the Erie Canal to travel overland between Albany and Schenectady; goods stayed on barges for the trip which could take more than a day. During its busiest seasons, the lock was operating with a lockage every 5 minutes. (Approximately 47,000 lockages per season).

By the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the Canal Commissioners recognized that the Erie Canal would require substantial further modification if it was to remain competitive with expanding rail transportation. During the early 1880s steam motive power introduced on the Eric Canal led to the introduction of larger vessels that could be towed or pushed in combination along the waterway. To accommodate this traffic, a program to lengthen the locks was begun in 1884. Lock No 23 was one of six locks lengthened during 1889. The southwest chamber was extended south to a total of 220 feet along the berm side; the width of the added portion of the lock chamber was 20 feet. With its southwest chamber nearly doubled in size, Lock No. 23 could raise or lower "double-header" vessels towed by steam barges without interrupting though traffic.

With the opening of the current Barge Canal the Enlarged Canal was abandoned in 1918, and this section of the canal was purchased by the General Electric Company (GE). GE kept water in the canal from their main plant in Schenectady to Lock 23 until the late 1950's. It functioned as a test bed for GE products including the Electric Mules used to pull ships through the locks in the Panama Canal. In the 1950s the lock property was donated to the Town of Rotterdam which was in the midst of building its new water pumping station on the nearby well field; the town ran its new main directly through the lock chambers. Portions of the limestone walls were partially collapsed to make way for the pipe. In the north chamber the pipe was covered with debris and dirt blocking off that chamber. In the south chamber the cement replaced the removed limestone blocks and a concrete walkway was installed above the waterway crossing the chamber, however the water main is no longer in use.

After a long period of neglect the lock had become completely overgrown. Beginning in 1999, students and staff of the Department of Civil Engineering at Union College had undertaken an effort to keep the lock free from small trees and brush and at one time had an ambitious plan to rehabilitate the lock and bring it back to working condition. Between 2000 and 2003 they built a replica board-and-batten Lock Tender's Hut and a Wooden Pier. Volunteers from Union College History Department were joined by volunteers from the Schenectady County Historical Society, the Rotterdam Sunrise Rotary Club and Friends of the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail in subsequent years to maintain the lock and continue promoting its preservation and sought official recognition as a historic site.

On December 28, 2007 the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation listed the Lock No. 23 property on New York’s registry as an important engineering landmark in Schenectady County. On March 6, 2008 Lock No. 23 had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Plans are in the works to apply for grant monies and the installation of permanent interpretive signs about the lock.

Lock No. 23 remains the focus of continuing preservation efforts and a distinguished example of masonry engineering design and construction associated with the transportation history of the Old Erie Canal.

Lock 23 in 1941
Lock 23 in 1941 showing the east end of the south chamber. In this photo the water is still in the canal as it is being used by Schenectady's General Electric for testing. The wooden pier is still quite evident in the water at the foot of the lock.

Lock 23 in 2007
Same view as first photo; East end of South lock chamber which had been lengthened.

Lock 23 in 2007
Detail of the locks stonework under a blanket of fresh snow.

Clean Up Day at Lock 23
Professor Andrew Morris of the Union College Department of History organized the Clean Up Day on May 27, 2006. Here we see Union College students as well as other volenteers cutting back brush and removing debries from the lock. At this location the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail is built on the old tow path and passes right beside the lock, on the left, in this view.

Lock 23 After Clean Up
After clean up Saturday, May 12, 2007.

Lock Tender's Hut
Closer view of the Lock Tender's Hut which sits on the pier between the two lock chambers on April 2, 2005

Lock 23 in 2007
Winter Time Again, February 17, 2007.

Lock 23 in 2008 - Interpretive Sign Added!
This interpretive sign was installed on the side of the Locktender's hut in the late spring of 2008. The text on the sign points out that the Lock 23 site has been recognized by its listing on the New York State and National Historic Registers in 2008.

Old Lock 23 is located beside the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail, near the intersection of Rice Road and Schermerhorn Road in Rotterdam, New York.

Google Maps Satellite image of Lock 23, Here.

(Other Old Erie Canal Lock Photos Here)

Tags: Erie Canal Lock 23 Locktender Pier Rotterdam GE
Added: 9th December 2007
Views: 850
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Posted By: Ohlhous

MiningMining In South Dakota - 1940 - Part 2

Produced by the Homestake Mining Company, "South Dakota Saga" is an overview of the gold mining industry in South Dakota. It begins by looking back 56 years to the early "gold-panning days" of 1874. Keep in mind that what youre watching was done over 66 years ago from now!
Tags: south dakota mining homestake gold coal shrinkage stope
Added: 15th December 2007
Views: 148
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Posted By: prelingerfan

MiningMining In South Dakota - 1940 - Part 1

Posted By: prelingerfan

	Comm, AdvertisingOutdoor Advertising - Part 1 - 1942 Billboards: A topic only an entrepreneur could love - until you look beyond the ads to the products and services theyre promoting. Part 2 of this film is in color. Tags: billboards outdoor advertising Added: 25th December 2007 Views: 257 Rating: Posted By: prelingerfan

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