A Cannery at the Crosswaters

A Cannery at the Crosswaters. . , The canal increased industry productivity. It quickly brought raw materials and workers to factories, and made shipping faster and cheaper than transporting over land. Some structures of the canal were even specially designed for multiple uses to further increase efficiency., Form Following Function , Many structures of the canal were built to serve more than one purpose. The bridge pictured here accommodated both boat and towpath traffic underneath. Mules and drivers could continue through the intersection unhindered or use the bridge to cross Lakeport Road to the other side. The canal walls alongside the cannery were built straight with mooring rings to help dock boats while workers loaded and unloaded cargo., Merrell-Soule Cannery , The stone walls you see across the canal are all that remain of the Merrell-Soule cannery. Workers at the factory canned vegetables from nearby farms and made vegetable powder for soups and pies. Corn, pumpkin, squash, peas and tomatoes were just some of the vegetables that the cannery processed. During the busy harvest season, the cannery employed many people. In 1892 over one million cans of vegetables passed through the factory! , Working at the Cannery , As seen in this photo, taken in 1907, the cannery employed women as well as men. Later the cannery also used labor from German prisoner of war camps. These prisoners were housed at what is now Green Lakes State Park and often worked on farms in the area. Due to their fair treatment, many chose to stay in New York once world war two came to an end. Some even brought their families overseas from Germany.