ABOVE PHOTO: The above photo is not a photo of Johnny Lyons. It is, however, a photo of another Jordan mule driver, Russell Hunn (1890-1979, age 89), on the towpath with his team of 3 mules.
Johnny Lyons (Sep. 1858-Mar. 16, 1946, age 87) was a driver on the Erie Canal who was from Jordan. In his later years, he worked for several decades as the sexton at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Jordan. He is buried in this cemetery with his parents, Cornelius and Honorah Lyons, and his four siblings. Both of Johnny's parents were born in Ireland.
Johnny Lyons, 76, Jordan, Used to Drive on Towpath
The Cayuga Chief, Weedsport
December 27, 1940
Jordan—John Lyons of Jordan recalls the days when he used to walk from Buffalo to Albany and back behind a team of horses, and passed through Weedsport often.
It was long ago, in the days of the Erie canal, and the horses he drove pulled barges loaded with wheat, corn or oats.
[story continues below the next 3 photos]
ABOVE PHOTO: Looking northeast. The Erie Canal is in the foreground. The group of men with shovels are standing on the towpath. It appears that they have been loading something onto a canal barge. This is the same stretch of towpath which today leads from North Main Street to the aqueduct over Skaneateles Creek. The back of the former Grange Hall is visible in the upper right-hand corner. The Grange Hall was attached to the back of the former Masonic Temple building (formerly the Union Hotel and Abrams House), which once stood on the site of today's Jordan Masonic Lodge No. 386 on the east side of North Main Street. The two-story American Hotel is visible at far right. This building was later converted into a mule exchange. Compare with photo below, which was taken just east of this photo.
ABOVE PHOTO: Looking northeast. Note the famous Lincoln Cannonball giant elm tree visible at left. This tree was cut down in 1935. Compare this photo with the above photo, which was taken just west of this photo. In the foreground of this photo is the Erie Canal and the towpath. At far right is the curved stone wall of the west end of the aqueduct over Skaneateles Creek. Note the sign on the former two-story American Hotel building which reads: "Canal Stable." This building and the surrounding buildings are now used as a mule exchange. The Otis farm is visible in the background. The orchard at right, fenced in by a zig-zag fence, is where the Jordan-Elbridge Middle School sits today. Way in the distance, a few houses on North Beaver Street are visible. This excerpt from a 1929 newspaper clipping describes a "long narrow barn" which ran north behind the American Hotel building: "From the towpath back to the street [labelled as Wausau Court on early maps] that separated the American Hotel from the Tucker-Stroh Building there was a long narrow barn, the "Line Barn," where tow horses were stabled, owned by a company that maintained line stations at intervals between Buffalo and Troy and furnished horse power and drivers for hauling boats." Charles H. Williams, The Marcellus Observer, November 27, 1929.
ABOVE PHOTO: Looking southwest. This very early photograph (before November 1876) is similar to the previous two photographs, but the photographer was looking in the opposite direction. The Erie Canal and towpath are in the foreground. The North Main Street bridge crosses the canal. The long barn at far right is the same long barn visible in the previous two photos. Note the doorways which open out onto the canal in the basement level of the shops located alongside the canal. The brick building at left, with a sign saying "Boots, Shoes & Groceries," is the former Davis Block (which was destroyed by fire on February 6, 1912). The brick building at center is the former Munroe Block (which was destroyed by fire on October 15, 1876). This building was home to the Jordan Transcript newspaper printing offices, among other businesses. Just to the right of the Munroe block is the 2-story, wood frame, original clothier shop of Nicholas Craner. The second building from the right is a warehouse, which is still standing today, and has been converted into a private residence.
[story continued from above]
Born in Jordan 76 years ago, the son of Cornelius Lyons, he ran away from home when 16 and went to Buffalo. His brothers, Michael and Daniel, both now dead, were "boating" and he yearned to try his hand at the business.
At Buffalo he got a job driving team along the towpath. "I was paid $12 a month, my room and board, when I first started," Mr. Lyons recalled.
He drove both mules and horses but he liked horses best. "I had a team of mules which would try to run away every time we were 'locking up' or 'locking down'."
ABOVE PHOTO: Looking east. This photograph shows the Erie Canal, the towpath, and the stone walls of the aqueduct over the Skaneateles Creek. A cow is walking a gangplank from the towpath onto one of two canal boats which are linked together. The two-story, dark-colored warehouse with windows which is visible in the background is still standing today on Water Street, and it has been converted into apartments. During the days of the Erie Canal, Alexander Van Vleck owned a dry dock, which is partially visible on the right side of this photo (located behind today's Jordan Bramley Library building).
"We used to work shifts. I would drive for six hours, and then the other driver would work six hours. We worked 12 hours a day, two shifts.
"A team would pull a barge about two miles an hour in 'dead water' and do better when there was a current behind her. Every so often we would change horses at a stable along the way."
ABOVE PHOTO: Looking southwest. This photograph of the Erie Canal and towpath, looking west towards Jordan, was taken at the former Carpenter's Brook waste weir (video), which is located just east of South McDonald Road, near the hamlet of Peru. At this location, a single-arch aqueduct carried the waters of the Erie Canal over Carpenter's Brook, which flows north (i.e., to the right in this photo). At the time that this photo was taken, the land was mostly cleared, but today, most of this land is heavily wooded. The elaborate stonework visible on the right side of this photo still exists, as does the aqueduct.
After he learned the barge business, Mr. Lyons went to work for Amos Bissell of Lockport as a captain. "It took four men to run a barge," he explained, "the captain, a steersman and two drivers. I was paid $8 a day and 'found' those days and it was an easy life with good pay.
"For two summers I worked for Hath & Crandall of Buffalo. We would take a load of grain to New York, and after it was unloaded, take a load of something else back to Buffalo.
"There were thousands and thousands of barges on the canal in those days, and some steamboats. It took us about nine days to make a trip. It cost from 1½ to 5 cents a bushel to ship grain."
When the barges hit the Hudson river they were towed by steamboats. "I have seen," said the veteran canal man, "a steamboat towing as many as 75 barges on the river.
"After a while I quit boating to go to work with the telephone company building new lines. After four years of that I became sexton of St. Patrick's cemetery at Jordan, and worked for 36 years, retiring two years ago."