Little Falls Big History

Just got back from a mini-trip to historic Little Falls. All this time I thought I'd seen all of Upstate NY but then my juggler friend (juggler by trade, world traveler by nature) walked me through this book he's reading called 'Wedding of the Waters: The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation'. One 3-hour walking tour later of Little Falls and I know everything there is to know about the Erie Canal, colonial architecture and chedder cheese. First up, the Old Masonic Temple, a grand and eloquent masterpiece, formidable to some but welcoming to me. It's up for sale right now and by my best guess, well over 2 million, or at least that's what I would ask for it. America's earliest and richest settlers once lived in Little Falls and it shows in their big beautiful Colonial homes. There is Dutch, Spanish, French, Federal and New England style homes but we both agree that the stone barn-like building on Prospect St. is our favorite. The brick chimney set back by the black clapboard shutters against the white beveled stone is a trend that will always endure. Next up, a dirty ditch, also known as Clinton's Big Ditch or the Erie Canal. Built in 1825, it took 7 years of engineering prowess and the first NY State-raised funding to finish the 350 mile stretch between Albany and Buffalo. It's importance in trade, commerce and manufacturing is mostly overlooked in history books but without it Canada might own Buffalo today or so the book argues. Explosives, mules and muscle power carved up the Appalachian Mountains to built Lock 17, the highest lock in the world at that time. This eighth wonder of the world in 1825 helped turn Herkimer County into the largest cheese-making market in the United States. The official Cheese Museum is right down the road in Rome. Last up on the Americana circuit, a trip to two gigantic warehouses renovated into antiques shops and premium lofts. Thank you my juggler friend for showcasing a part of the world I should be writing about and it's much closer than India.