Rome Haul

One of my many historical interests is transportation history, and within transportation history I have a particular love for the canal era in American history.  Of late I've been reading some new and rereading some older books touching on the Wabash and Erie here in Indiana, the Ohio and Erie, Miami and Erie, and the Sandy and Beaver (my personal favorite due to its tunnels) canals in Ohio, the Mainline of Public Works in Pennsylvania, and, of course the wonderful New York Canals.  Everyone knows (or should know) the Erie, but the canal system of New York also included a several other wonderful branches, including the Chenango and Black River Canals.  The latter has inspired a recent  book and video.  The book is titled The Forestport Breaks: A Nineteenth Century Conspiracy Along the Black River Canal, and the story is wonderfully told by Michael Doyle.  The video is Little Ditch: The Black River Canal.  Check out its website at http://www.4thcoastproductions.com/littleditch.htm.  Both are worth the effort!  Also, you might want to see Black River Canal (NY), which is part of the terrific Images of America series (featuring books on all sorts of cool stuff, including the Horseshoe Curve).   The bottom line, however, is that this little excursus has driven me back to Walter D. Edmonds volume, Rome Haul.  It's been years since I have read this, but what a great little book.  There are some marvelous vignettes in it, and I hope to post a few over the next few days.