Snowing to beat the band today, so enjoying being inside and having a walk down memory lane.
Did you know………….that from 1830 to 1869 a canal connected Sebago Lake with the ocean at Portland? 150 vessels plied the canal in order to transport the vast resources of lumber and farm produce of this area to the seaport. The boats were lifted 264 feet through a series of 27 locks.
Published tariff rates on the canal included the following:
PASSENGERS: 1/2 penny per mile per person. (No reduction for children)
WOOD: 3 cents per mile per cord.
The lockage fee was set at 6 cents per lock and the speed of any vessel was not to exceed 4 miles per hour.
The vessels were barges, square on both ends, with a centerboard and two sails. The masts were hinged so they could be lowered to pass under bridges.
Life on the canal was slow and leisurely and one historian wrote; “many delays occurred in transportation and when this happened, the combined crews would adjourn to the nearest ‘public’, where they would indulge in wrestling, boxing, story telling, not omitting spiritual refreshment and the consolation of tobacco.”
Borrowed from Spring Tonic 1956! Keep in mind that you can still visit the Songo Locks, as we do weekly with our Tykona cruises. Another relaxing feature of a Migis vacation! Here’s a closeup of the Tykona when she returned to Sebago after her restoration a couple of winters ago, AND a look at the current snowfall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMk05Novem0
Stay warm!
Mary