History Passing on the River

Later today or possibly tomorrow, Lehigh Valley No. 79, the last wooden barge from the Lighterage Era of transportation, will be floating by us on the river.

Lehigh Valley No. 79 passing the Hoboken Terminal   Photo: Annik La Farge

The 101-year-old barge, which today is the Waterfront Museum, is making the journey from Brooklyn to Waterford, where it will be dry-docked. At 7:50 this morning, the barge and its tug, Francis, passed by Tivoli. The plan is to drop off a stone barge, which is traveling with Lehigh Valley No. 79 and Francis, at Catskill. Then Francis will take the historic barge to Athens, where it will wait for another tug, Margot, to take it the rest of the way to Waterford.

You can learn more about Lehigh Valley No. 79, which is the type of barge known as a "lighter," and the Lighterage Era of transportation on the Hudson River at Annik La Farge's blog Livin' the High Line: "History Sailing by the High Line."
COPYRIGHT 2015 CAROLE OSTERINK

Gratitude to Annik La Farge for providing this story