BOONVILLE, N.Y. -- For more than a year, the Black River Canal Museum in Boonville has been working on building a replica of an Erie Canal Cargo Boat from the pre-Civil War era. Saturday, the museum cut the ribbon on the finished product.
The Cargo Boats were considered the tractor-trailers of their time. They were used to haul important items like wood, coal and grain.
The museum says the life-sized replica is the only one in the state. Board members say they hope the boat will be a focal point for the museum and draw visitors to the area.
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"It's good, I feel, to preserve history for the Black River Canal and also for the Village of Boonville. It's all part of the local history,” said Dick Ulrich, BRCM Trustee.
The museum also recently received money to finish it's archive building, which will be the last part of the museum's complex.
That could be finished later this year.