Canal Canaries and Other Tough Old Birds

Since the launch of this blog, you might have noticed I ask a lot of questions. You and I may both know that most of the answers are lost to the past. Today I have a success story. When Bill Hecht shared the photo below with myself and a few others, Craig Williams looped in…

will van dorp

January 23, 2025

1–2 minutes

To my astonishment, Russ said he did and that he’d written a whole book about these ancestors of his.

I ordered the book, read it, studied all the numerous images, and now share the Table of Contents in hopes you’ll want to know all about the Van Dervoorts and their first tugboat Annex.

Who knows what additional information the photos in the CSNY will uncover and what new books the collection will spawn.

Russ, by the way, has a new book out set in the Civil War era Erie Canal. Check it out here. I’m hoping Russ or a reader will comment here.

2 responses to “Canal Canaries and Other Tough Old Birds”

Russ Van Dervoort

July 24, 2025 at 4:19 pm

Will, thanks for the kind words. The release of “Dear Mother, I am the only one left” has renewed interest in “Canal Canaries and Other Tough Old Birds.” Capt. Lou, my great grandfather, had many curious terms. Canal Canaries, were female canallers, and tough old birds were good male canallers. The new book, Dear Mother, covers a very interesting time era on the NYS Canals. John Shepard, the canaller involved, worked nearly 40 years on the mule era Champlain and Erie Canals. His Erie Canal towing was restricted to towing from the Champlain to Albany. I worked with the family for ten years researching the material for the book. The letters were written by his son Charles Shepard to his Waterford family of wife, mother, father, and sister. Self serving to say, but a great story is told, and most of it takes place on the canal. While John is towing with his mules, he is pondering his son’s letters, well being, and future. The current day family has no picture of Charles and no one has any memory of him. I have made many presentations about his experiences. The family said that I bring him to life. They still don’t know what he looked like, but now they feel like they know him. I think that’s a strong compliment.

Reply
1. Sharon (Mosso) Sestak
  
  August 14, 2025 at 5:53 pm
  
  At one time, my great-grandfather owned the Lady Mosso. Russ, do you have any information on him? I’d like to know if that is Joseph Mosso with his son Bill shown on the Lady Mosso. I don’t think he owned the boat after 1909…
  
  Reply