Erie Canal

The Erie Canal (later replaced by part of the New York State Barge Canal system, which was renamed the Erie Canal) is a canal in New York State, United States, that runs from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. Although the canal was first proposed in 1699, it was not until 1798 that the Niagara Canal Company was incorporated and commenced preparations for building. The first section of canal was completed in 1819, and the entire canal was opened on October 26, 1825. It was 363 miles (584 km) long, 40 feet (12 m) wide, and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep. There were 83 locks along the canal, each 90 feet by 15 feet (27 m by 4.5 m). Maximum canal-boat displacement was 75 tons (68 tonnes). The Erie Canal was the first transportation route faster than carts pulled by draft animals between the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and the western interior, and cut transport costs into what was then wilderness by about 90%. The Canal resulted in a massive population surge in western New York, and opened regions further west to increased settlement.

The Erie Canal today

In 1918 the canal was replaced by the larger New York State Barge Canal. The new canal replaced much of the original route, and sought to 'canalize' rivers along the way that the original canal sought to avoid, such as the Mohawk, Seneca and Clyde Rivers, and Oneida Lake.

Related Topics:
1918 - New York State Barge Canal - Mohawk - Seneca - Clyde River - Oneida Lake

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The new alignment began on the Hudson River at the border between Cohoes and Waterford, where it ran northwest cross-country with five locks, running into the Mohawk River east of Crescent. While the old canal ran next to the Mohawk River all the way to Rome, the new canal generally ran through the river, straightened or widened where necessary. At Ilion the new canal left the river for good, but continued to run on a new alignment parallel to both the river and the old canal to Rome. From Rome the new route continued almost due west, merging with Fish Creek just east of its entry into Oneida Lake.

Related Topics:
Hudson River - Cohoes - Waterford - Mohawk River - Crescent - Rome - Ilion - Fish Creek - Oneida Lake

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On the west side of Oneida Lake, the new canal left along the Oneida River, with cutoffs to shorten the route. At Three Rivers the Oneida River turns northwest, and was deepened for the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario. The new Erie Canal turned south there along the Seneca River, which turns west near Syracuse and continues west to a point in the Montezuma Marsh ({{coor d|43.00296|N|76.73115|W|}}). There the Cayuga and Seneca Canal continued south with the Seneca River, and the Erie Canal began to run once again parallel to the old canal along the bottom of the Niagara Escarpment, in some places running along the Clyde River, and in some places replacing the old canal. At Pittsford, southeast of Rochester, the canal turned west to run around the south side of Rochester, rather than through downtown, rejoining the old path near North Gates. From there it was again roughly an upgrade to the original canal, running west to Lockport and southwest to Tonawanda, where the new alignment simply emptied into the Niagara River.

Related Topics:
Oneida River - Three Rivers - Oswego Canal - Lake Ontario - Seneca River - Syracuse - Montezuma Marsh - Cayuga and Seneca Canal - Niagara Escarpment - Clyde River - Pittsford - Rochester - North Gates - Lockport - Tonawanda - Niagara River

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Abandoned sections of the old Erie Canal were filled by most communities to create parks, recreational trails, and roads such as Erie Boulevard in Syracuse, and Broad Street and the Rochester Subway in Rochester. Some communities elected to keep their sections of the canal in the interest of historic preservation.

Related Topics:
Syracuse - Rochester Subway - Rochester

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Due to the growth of the highway system, railroads, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway, commercial traffic on the canal declined dramatically during the second half of the twentieth century. In the 1990s, a series of legislation renamed the New York State Barge Canal back to the Erie Canal, and its use was restricted to recreational traffic. The Erie Canal is open to small craft and some larger vessels for most of the year. During the winter, water is drained from parts of the canal, enabling repairs and maintenance.

Related Topics:
Saint Lawrence Seaway - 1990s - New York State Barge Canal

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Today the Erie Canal Corridor covers 524 miles (843 km) of navigable water from Lake Champlain to the Capital Region and west to Lake Erie. The area has a population of 2.7 million, and it has been estimated that about 75% of upstate New York's population lives within 25 miles (40 km) of the Erie Canal. The current New York State Canal System includes the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego and Champlain Canals.

Related Topics:
Erie Canal Corridor - Lake Champlain - Capital Region - Cayuga-Seneca - Oswego - Champlain Canal

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