Life on the Morris Canal Traditional Cache

The Morris Canal series of caches are placed along the canal towpath in partnership with the Waterloo Village Historic Site and the Canal Society of New Jersey to showcase the important early transportation across New Jersey. The Morris Canal connected the Delaware and Hudson Rivers and facilitated development of cities and industry in New York and New Jersey.

The "canaller's" life was a sort of gypsy, vagabond existence, out in the open with little hard work. When it once got into a man's blood it stayed with him. There are many cases where canalling was the chosen occupation of entire families through generations.

While some who worked on the canal were rough and tumble types who would frequent taverns along the way, other boats contained whole families. On those family boats, the parents would steer while the children would guide the mules on the towpath.

Canal boats had to be steered, otherwise they would run "spang" into the bank as the mules towed them along. The boatman, usually the captain, did the steering while a child drove the mules.

Some children helped their parents on the canal during the spring, summer and fall. They would do their schooling during the winter months because the canal would freeze over and close.

The number of people who sometimes lived in a small boat cabin was almost unbelievable. There were no toilet accommodations of any kind. Bathing was done with a tin basin on deck. When washday came the clothes were strung from the towline posts.

Since the canal boats had no refrigeration and almost no storage space, fresh provisions were bought every day. Lock tenders often ran a store selling supplies to the boatmen waiting at the lock. At Lock 7 West, the Bread Lock, homemade potato bread was offered for sale at a little shack located at the foot of the lock. At Waterloo Village, supplies could be loaded directly onto the boat from the back of Smith’s General Store.