For Immediate Release: October 11, 2005
HISTORIC MOTORSHIP DAY PECKINPAUGH EMBARKS ON TWO-WEEK TOUR
ALONG NYS BARGE CANAL
State, Federal and Non-Profit Partnership Transforming ‘Last of its Kind’
Vessel into
Floating Museum and Historical Exhibit
Carmella R. Mantello, Director of the New York State Canal Corporation, today joined representatives of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, the New York State Museum, the Canal Society of New York, and State and local elected officials at a “Send-Off” celebration for the historic motorship, Day Peckinpaugh, as it begins a two-week journey along the New York State Barge Canal from Lockport to Waterford.
The vessel was acquired by the NYS Museum with assistance from the Canal Society of New York and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, with plans to transform the vessel into a floating museum and historic exhibit. The Day Peckinpaugh will be towed by Canal Corporation tugboats from its current berth in Lockport, to its temporary home at Peebles Island State Park, near historic Matton Shipyard, in Waterford, where it will undergo extensive restoration work. The journey will take the historic ship through numerous towns and villages along the Canal System (schedule below).
“We are happy to be able to partner with the New York State Museum, the Canal Society, and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission on this historic project,” Director Mantello said. “Preserving the rich maritime heritage of New York State takes vision and collaboration, and by working together we can help bring the compelling story of the Erie Canal to life for millions of New Yorkers and visitors from around the globe.”
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission Chairman Eric Mower said, “Only weeks before the Day Peckinpaugh was scheduled to be scrapped and become a ghost ship, she’s been saved to now have a whole new life as a floating exhibit and important witness to much of the Erie Canal’s dramatic history.”
New York State Museum Director Clifford A. Siegfried said, “The Erie Canal opened the interior of the country to exploration and settlement cementing New York’s position as the Empire State. The Day Peckinpaugh is an important artifact of the history of the canal and we are honored to include it in the collections of the Museum and determined to make it available for future generations of New Yorkers.”
Siegfried continued, “Many groups and individuals have made this historic undertaking possible, including a former crew member, and the Museum is extremely grateful. We credit the Canal Corporation with providing invaluable assistance. Here in western New York, Canal Corporation employees have been a tremendous support over the last several weeks as we prepared the Peckinpaugh for its journey east.”
Canal Society of New York State President Thomas X. Grasso said, “The Day Peckinpaugh is the single-most significant artifact remaining from the storied barge canal era. It was the first motorship of its kind to ply these waters and, as is only fitting, it is now the last. I commend all of our partners in this endeavor for their efforts to preserve and pass on to the next generation, this important part of our nation’s maritime history.”
State Senator George Maziarz said, “We wish the Day Peckinpaugh well as it journeys eastward from Lockport to be refitted for an important mission. Education is our state’s highest priority, and our history is our most unique teaching tool. This historic vessel, a precious legacy of our Erie Canal heritage, will be a classroom for all ages.”
Lockport Mayor Michael W. Tucker said, “The City of Lockport is proud to have hosted this venerable ship and assisted in bringing it back to life and to the people of New York. We look forward to the Day Peckingpaugh visiting the city in the future as a museum and floating classroom to teach our children and the world about the history and significance of our Erie Canal.”
State Historic Preservation Officer and State Parks Commissioner Bernadette Castro said, “The plans for restoration of the historic and recently State Registered canal motorship Day Peckinpaugh is a testament to the Governor's longstanding support of maritime preservation. The shared vision of restoring the ship into a museum gallery that will navigate the state's historic waterways serves as a unique vehicle for telling the story of the impact of New York's canals and waterways as a catalyst for growth across the entire nation.”
Built in 1921 at McDougall-Duluth Shipyard in Duluth, MN for service on the Barge Canal and Great Lakes, the Day Peckinpaugh is the last surviving vessel of her kind. At 259 feet long and 36 feet wide, this historic craft was one of the largest to operate on the Barge Canal, and the first vessel ever designed specifically for the dimensions of the Barge Canal.
Once moored in Waterford, the Day Peckinpaugh will receive extensive work to transform the massive cargo hold of the ship into exhibit and classroom space, and serve as a floating center for education and historic preservation. The New York State Museum will work closely with public and private partners, including the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, to educate the public about the history and significance of the Canal System and this famous vessel on a national level.
After leaving the Locks in Lockport on Tuesday, the Day Peckinpaugh will travel to Medina, Brockport, Spencerport, Pittsford, Newark, Mays Point, Baldwinsville, Brewerton, Sylvan Beach, Rome, Little Falls, Canajoharie, Amsterdam, and Niskayuna before arriving in Waterford on October 29. Another celebration is planned to welcome the Day Peckinpaugh upon its arrival in Waterford.
Built for Interwaterways Lines Inc. of New York City, the Day Peckinpaugh was originally launched as the ILI 101, and later christened the Richard J. Barnes. The Barnes served her country with distinction during WWII, carrying coal along the east coast in the service of the U.S. Merchant Marine. In 1958, and after some extensive modifications, Erie Sand and Gravel Company purchased the vessel and bestowed on her the now famous moniker Day Peckinpaugh. Her namesake was a well-known freight forwarder in the Great Lakes region, and brother of one-time New York Yankees interim manager Roger Peckinpaugh the youngest manager/player in the history of major league baseball.
In 1961, she was converted again to haul cement from Oswego to Rome, which she did without fail until her retirement in 1994. The Day Peckinpaugh is the most storied and longest serving of all the motorships which saw Canal service. While nearly one hundred of these vessels plied the waters of the Canal during its commercial heyday, only the Day Peckinpaugh remains.
A nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the vessel is pending.
A complete trip schedule is attached. Please be advised that dates are tentative and may change due to weather or unforeseen mechanical difficulties experienced during the trip. For more information or to confirm schedule dates, please call the New York State Canal Corporation at 518-436-3055.
Day Peckinpaugh Schedule:
October 11 (Tuesday) - Lockport departure & reception at Murphy’s
October 12 (Wednesday) - Layover at Lockport Shops for preparations
October 13 (Thursday) - Lockport to Medina
October 14 (Friday) - Medina to Adams Basin
October 15 (Saturday) - Adams basin to Scottsville
October 16 (Sunday) - Scottsville to Pittsford
October 17 (Monday) - Pittsford to Newark
October 18 (Tuesday) - Newark to Lock E-25
October 19 (Wednesday) - Lock E-25 to Baldwinsville
October 20 (Thursday) - Baldwinsville to Brewerton
October 21 (Friday) - Brewerton to Sylvan Beach
October 22 (Saturday) - Layover in Sylvan Beach
October 23 (Sunday) - Sylvan Beach to Rome
October 24 (Monday) - Rome to Little Falls
October 25 (Tuesday) - Little Falls to Lock E-14 (upper wall)
October 26 (Wednesday) - Lock E-14 to Amsterdam Terminal
October 27 (Thursday) - Amsterdam to Lock E-7 (lower wall)
October 28 (Friday) - Lock E-7 to Waterford
October 29 (Saturday) - Welcoming reception in Waterford
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