A big tow on the Hudson today looks like this, eight or nine gravel scows pushed by the venerable Buchanan 12.

But larger tows made up of Erie Canal barges were a common sights 120 + years ago, as

you see here. Keep in mind also that each of these barges had a crew and often a family aboard. Once in the Erie Canal, these would likely be towed by teams of draft animals.

Could I have some help with the sidewheel steam tug to the right?

See you at the Winter Symposium this Satuday for lectures about marginalized workers on the Delaware & Hudson Canal, Seneca Chief replica in 2025, plans for Lois McClure, the Erie Canal as a birthplace of US engineering and science, and more.