Day 62: Tribes Hill (Lock 12) to Ilion

June 14, 55 miles. We're off the wall at Lock 12 at 0730. It's mild and there's been a misty rain, which stops just before we cast off. We motor up the Mohawk in calm conditions. At Lock 12, officially the Tribes Hill Lock, a plaque informs us that it was designated the James Shanahan Lock in 1989. In 1864, Shanahan--The New York State Superintendent of Canals 1878-97--had built the first bridge over the Hudson River at Albany.

Today we'll see something a little different of this modern-day Erie Canal; we'll be bypassing, by canal sections, portions of the Mohawk River that are un-navigable. This afternoon we'll enter Lock 18, and about 4 miles along a canal we'll re-enter the Mohawk and arrive at our destination.

We have a trouble-free cruise along the Erie. Locks are met on time (some have set times) and we negotiate the infamous section between Locks 16 and 17 without a hitch. Others are not so lucky; they arrive too late or too early, but it's all in the Waterway Guide and you have to be able to plan ahead. I'd say our smooth voyage has been 10% luck and 90% strategic preparation by Preston. We've a lot to thank him for, as we pass through the problem area that caused the much-delayed opening of the canal, and proceed towards our overnight stop at Ilion [ILL-yin].

The village of Ilion, NY, (pop about 7,600) is named after ancient Ilion (or Ilium), which is another name for the city of Troy, famous for its role in Homer's “Iliad”. The area that became Ilion was settled around 1725 and was previously known by names like German Flats, Morgan's Landing, and Remington's Corners. In 1843, when the community needed a name for a new post office, Eliphalet Remington, the founder of the Remington Arms Company declined to have the village named after himself. David D. Devoe, an admirer of Homer, suggested Ilion, and this name was eventually adopted. With the closure of the Remington factory, the future of the village of Ilion is doubtful.Baca lagi