The canal increased industrial productivity by quickly bringing raw materials and workers to factories and by making shipping faster and cheaper than transport over land. Some canal structures were designed for multiple uses to increase efficiency, including a bridge that accommodated both boat and towpath traffic underneath so mules and drivers could continue through the intersection unhindered or cross Lakeport Road, while straight canal walls with mooring rings alongside the cannery helped boats dock during loading and unloading. Across the canal stand the remaining stone walls of the Merrell-Soule cannery, where workers canned vegetables from nearby farms and made vegetable powder for soups and pies, processing crops such as corn, pumpkin, squash, peas, and tomatoes. During the busy harvest season the cannery employed many people, and in 1892 more than one million cans of vegetables passed through the factory. A photograph taken in 1907 shows that the cannery employed women as well as men. Later it also used labor from German prisoner of war camps; these prisoners were housed at what is now Green Lakes State Park and often worked on area farms, and because of their fair treatment many chose to stay in New York after World War II ended, with some bringing their families from Germany.