We live in an extraordinarily rich historic corridor of our nation, which holds deep ties to the first days of our great country and tell-tale reminders of the industry born from the ingenuity of generations long past. 

One such monument to past industry is the historic Lock 31 Canal south of Honesdale on the way to Hawley. This past weekend, my family and I took time to visit Canalfest, which was being held that day; it celebrated the history of the D & H Canal and the culture it embodied. Whilst there, we saw vendors and demonstrators of old crafts and trades such as wood carving, hide tanning, blacksmithing and more. There was an ironically useful stretch of the canal, now drained of course, which was being utilized for fly fishing practice and demonstrations from the local chapter of Trout Unlimited. 

If you haven’t been to the premises, there is also a large mock canal-boat that serves as an awning or roof for vendors and food. The boat, however, if viewed from above and beside the lock system, mimics the scale of an old-timey boat with its traditional flat deck and rounded bow. One can almost imagine the canals, filled with water, boasting these large barge-like vessels, laden with their goods, being hauled up and down the waterways by mules or other draft animals. 

This was, of course, the advantage of canals as opposed to rivers. With their man-made dimensions, they could handle traffic coming up- and downstream with ample room for the beasts of burden to maneuver beside the watery highway. 

In a way, canals were like unto railroads, if only limited by the element they relied upon. Who knows? Perhaps they may find a place in green new enterprises of the future as we seek to regain the efficiency of days gone by. 

In any case, we had a lovely time touring the grounds. There was even a local archaeological group that was actively digging in the base of the canal beside the depot building, where I can only imagine folks would have dropped trinkets and other things into the water while getting in or out of the boat there. On display at their table, the group had a collection of old coins, pocketknives, ceramics, glass and more from the days when that depot would have been in operation. The historical societies’ tables boasted old black-and-white photos of not only the canal, but also the railroad, which as we know, is home to the birthplace of the famous Stourbridge Lion. 

Music wafted through the background of this lovely event as people peered at the craftsmen and vendors, imagining a simpler time when these things that intrigue us so today would have been far more commonplace. We meandered our way through the grounds in a large circle, seeing friends as we went and meeting new ones as they noticed our particular gaze upon one antique oddity or another. I myself found literature that invited locals to a neighborhood carving group. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. But a lack of interest has never been my curse. Time however…

The way out here our history is as much our entertainment as it is our inspiration. For some, it is their edification and for others, their motivation. For me and my family on that sunny day, I count it as all these and a vacation. It makes me want to return to other historic sites around Wayne County. There are only dozens to choose from.