The Erie Canal - New York State, U.S.A.
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PTCrazy
N 43° 03.690 W 076° 59.568
18T E 337729 N 4769571
Connecting Lake Erie in the West to the Hudson River in the East, the Erie Canal traverses across the state of New York, connecting large cities and small villages along the way it is now used almost exclusively as a recreational waterway.
Waymark Code: WM7QV5
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 11/24/2009
Views: 18
On July 4th 1817, then New York governor Dewitt Clinton, broke ground for what would later be called by some as the Eighth Wonder of the World! In the early stages, many referred to Clinton's idea as "Clinton's Folly" or "Clinton's Big Ditch", however he was not swayed from his belief that if a canal was dug from Albany in the East, to Lake Erie in the West, it would create an unprecedented means to move people and goods across the state faster and cheaper than had ever been considered possible.
It was a huge undertaking, digging a "ditch" across the entire state of New York, however, on October 26th 1825, it was completed. It included 18 aqueducts to carry the canal over ravines and rivers, and 83 locks, with a rise of 568 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It was 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide, and floated boats carrying 30 tons of freight. A ten foot wide towpath was built along the bank of the canal for horses, mules, and oxen led by a boy boat driver or "hoggee".
In order to keep pace with the growing demands of traffic, the Erie Canal was enlarged between 1836 and 1862. The "Enlarged Erie" was 70 feet wide and 7 feet deep, and could handle boats carrying 240 tons. The number of locks was reduced to 72. Most of the remaining traces of the Old Erie Canal are from the Enlarged Erie era.
In 1903, the State again decided to enlarge the canal by the construction of what was termed the "Barge Canal", consisting of the Erie Canal and the three chief branches of the State system - the Champlain, the Oswego, and the Cayuga and Seneca Canals. The resulting canal was completed in 1918, and is 12 to 14 feet deep, 120 to 200 feet wide, and 363 miles long, from Albany to Buffalo. 57 Locks were built to handle barges carrying up to 3,000 tons of cargo, with lifts of 6 to 40 feet.
Today, the Erie Canal has a new purpose, as one of the most scenic ways to traverse the state, with well maintained locks and docks at almost every city and village along its 350+ miles of placid waterways. It has become an economic blessing to many small villages, as they beautify and maintain the area, welcoming visitors to stop and enjoy the scenic beauty. Pondering what it might have been like to have travelled down this scenic waterway over 100 years ago at a mind numbing pace of just 6 miles per hour.