The Farmer Takes A Wife

Originally Aired: November 20, 1940 Cavalcade of America #201, "The Farmer Takes A Wife," presents a colorful drama of life on the Old Erie Canal during its heyday in the 1820s. At Gammy Hennessy's canal hotel in Rome, New York, boaters gather for the spring opening of the Erie Canal, their livelihoods threatened by the coming of the railroad. Into this world steps Daniel Harrow, son of a legendary canal captain, who takes work as a driver for Sam Weaver with one goal in mind: earning enough money to buy a farm. He meets Molly Larkin, the spirited cook aboard bully Joe from Clore's boat, who loves the canal life and cannot understand Daniel's desire to leave it for the lonely existence of a farmer. As Daniel and Molly encounter each other along the towpath between Rome and Buffalo, their opposing dreams create a compelling conflict. Molly believes the canal is her whole life and wants Daniel to embrace his canal heritage, while Daniel remains determined to save his money and pursue farming. The tension between the old canal ways and the encroaching railroad era, along with the colorful characters like the gambling Dr. Fortune and the hot-tempered Joe from Clore, sets the stage for this romantic drama.