Mae:

"The Canaller's Songbook" is a collection of songs compiled by William Hullfish of Brockport, NY and published in 1984. It gives the title of this song as "Low Bridge, Everybody Down" and says, "This song has found its way into folk tradition, although it is really a Tin-pan Alley tune written in 1905 by Thomas S. Allen."

The Erie Canal was completed in 1825 and was largely responsible for the growth of New York City at the expense of other Atlantic port cities such as Philadelphia and Boston, not to mention all the towns along the canal from Albany to Buffalo. The canal did well for many years producing significant revenues for the State of New York but, around the mid 1840s, railroads began to compete and business on the canal began to decline.

So, around 1905, the canal underwent a significant overhaul and its name was officially changed to The New York State Barge Canal though people call it the Erie Canal to this day. The canal was re-routed in many places and widened to accept larger barges. The depth was also increased from 4 feet to 12 feet. Also, the number of locks was greatly reduced from the original 83 to a much smaller number which sped up travel on the canal. At Lockport, for instance, the original canal had five locks in succession, like a staricase, and they are still there to be seen but right next to them are two locks which have taken their place (picture).

Sinc the New York State Barge Canal overhaul was started in 1905, this song may have been written to commemorate the event. It was completed in 1918 (the barge canal, not the song!).

Bev and Jerry