No, you didn’t travel back in time. This 73-foot, wooden barge is a replica. The original Seneca Chief first navigated the Erie Canal 200 years ago. This one finished its journey last year!

The replica serves as a floating time capsule. Its trek was a celebration of Erie Canal history. The Buffalo Maritime Center in New York built the new version of Seneca Chief. Over 200 volunteers helped. The brightly painted barge retraced the path of the first from Buffalo, New York, along the Hudson River to New York City, New York.

“When you step on this boat, you’re really going to be transported to a time when these boats ran all throughout these waters,” says Brian Trzeciak. He’s executive director of the Buffalo Maritime Center.

But times have changed. Cargo-hauling barges have given way mostly to pleasure boats and kayaks in the canal. The original Seneca Chief was towed by horses and mules. They dragged it by ropes from a “towpath” beside the water. (You might know a song about mules along the Erie Canal. Did you ever sing, I’ve got an old mule and her name is Sal / Fifteen years on the Erie Canal?) A tugboat pulls the new Seneca Chief. 

The replica made dozens of stops to welcome visitors aboard.

“There are people that weren’t even sure if the Erie Canal still exists that are now seeing this boat and asking more questions about our history,” says Mr. Trzeciak. “So those moments are the best when we pull into those ports.”

The boat’s crew members gathered water from different spots along the canal. They stored the water in a barrel aboard ship. When they reached New York City, they used it to water a recently planted tree. They nourished the future with a bit of history!

Why? Remembering our history helps us grow strong roots for the future.