About a month ago i ordered your publication cycling the erie canal. However you decide to ride, you are sure to enjoy endless adventures along the. A brief history of the delaware canal friends of the. The canal, 363 miles 584 km long, was the first canal in the united states to connect western waterways with the atlantic ocean. New york states grand or erie canal extended 363 miles from the hudson river in the east to lake erie in the west requiring a series of locks along the way to accommodate the changes in elevation. Two centuries later, dewitt clinton descendants join in an exploration of their notable ancestors legacy in a book that intertwines national and family history and a photographic journey along the canals historic and modern routes. The barge canal system, begun in 1907 and completed in 1918, was a result of a report from the committee on canals, created by new york governor theodore roosevelt in 1898. Erie canalway national heritage corridor history and culture. Steve golden, program manager, national park service, boston. Jul 09, 2017 the erie canal was the foundation of rochester, mayor warren said. The reserve on the erie canal, rochester, new york. Sep 01, 2017 two centuries later, dewitt clinton descendants join in an exploration of their notable ancestors legacy in a book that intertwines national and family history and a photographic journey along the canals historic and modern routes. Dewitt clinton, new york state built the waterway that opened the west to settlement and made new york city the center of finance and commerce. Reisem is a coffee table book of remarkable beauty and a font of knowledge.
Cregg, volunteer guide and researcher at the museum, have carefully selected from the museums extensive collection over two hundred images that depict life on the erie canal. However, work resumed in 1847 and, by 1862, the enlarged erie canal was completed. Men and women saw god face to face, gained and lost fortunes, and reveled in. It was the longest artificial waterway and the greatest public works project in north america. The erie canal is the place where the young united states, and its religiosity, ceased looking to the east and the past europe and new england and began looking west and to the future.
The canal was 363 miles 584 kilometers long, 40 feet 12 m wide, and 4 feet deep 1. The canal consisted of 85 locks to manage a 500 foot 150 meter rise in elevation from the hudson river to buffalo. Overhead aqueducts were used to allow streams to cross the canal. As new york state continues to celebrate the erie canal bicentennial, new york. For those interested in research the book features a. School resources classroom ideas additional resources about the new york state canals.
Architectural treasures of the empire state by richard o. The channel, which traverses new york state from albany to. Rich marine sales, buffalo, ny 716 8734060, mast storage. Erie canal, historic waterway of the united states, connecting the great lakes with new york city via the hudson river at albany. Learn more about the canal, including its construction. Cycling the erie canal is as good a guide book as i have ever seen. We were a flour mill city, and thats the way that rochester first started to build. Out of print for over a decade, this delightful book introduces readers to the people of the erie canal.
Two 1 inch closed tears and 14 inch closed tear to front jacket edges. The 176yearold erie canal completed in 1825 comes to spectacular new life in this 208page, lavishly illustrated book. Architectural treasures of the empire state richard o. Stretching almost 350 miles 540 km from buffalo to albany, up and down 35 locks, under. On october 25, 1825, the entire length of the erie canal was complete. Particularly interesting portions of the original clintons ditch canal and the enlarged erie canal include. The idea of building a canal from the east coast to the interior of north america was proposed by george washington, who actually attempted such a thing in the 1790s.
Erie timesnews obituaries and death notices for erie pennsylvania area. The title in english is tour of the united states of north america, with special reference to the erie canal. Taking advantage of the mohawk river gap in the appalachian mountains, the erie canal, 363 miles. The reserve on the erie canal is an innovative, 327home residential community located in brighton, new york. Two inland lock navigation companies, western and northern, were chartered by the new york state legislature in 1792, moving the erie canal project closer to becoming reality. Its population was increasing, westward migration had begun, and business was booming.
Presentation by erie canalway national heritage corridor commission. Books and note cards andy olenick, fotowerks ltd classic. Conceived in the early 1800s and completed in 1825, the erie canal wa. The worldfamous erie canal, in new york state, lets you experience history, recreation, and the very best that smalltown america has to offer. The erie canal now caters to thousands of recreational vessels from all over the world as well as tour boats such as one of the lil diamond vessels, cruise ships, canoes, fishing boats and kayaks. Definitely more of a history book as opposed to an engineering book on how the canal was built, but definitely worth the read to realize the impact the canal had on society at the time. The erie canal made new york the financial capital of america and brought the modern world crashing into the frontier. Ill be biking the erie canal this coming fall and this guide gives almost all the information i will need.
It was in canal towns like lockport and tonawanda where the doors of the american frontier were unlocked. New yorks erie canal in the south hall of the huxley theatre. A visionary and astute politician, clinton had been a u. As part of the nys curriculum, teaching about the new york state canal system can be a fun way to explore the past and discover how the erie canal shaped not only new york state, but america.
The new york state museum is set to hold a book talk and gallery tour, focusing on the erie canal, on wednesday, september 25th, from 6 to 8 pm before the presentation, exhibit curator and senior historian brad utter will lead. Despite its shallow depth, the erie canal carries a deep historical legacy. It includes historical vignettes, tall tales, songs, short stories, etc. An epic tale is told with daily travel posts, reflective ponderings, and stunning pictures. A collection of poems, essays, travelogues and fiction by major american and british writers about the erie canal. Seeing history on the erie canal is now available on amazon. Senator and was the ten time mayor of new york city. Opened in 1825, the canal proved so commercially viable that. The erie canal and the paradox of progress, 18171862. This illustration of the erie canal at rochester is from a german book by a. Poor roads and unnavigable rivers could no longer meet the. Poor roads and unnavigable rivers could no longer meet the young nations needs. The erie canal is a 363mile waterway that connects the great lakes with the atlantic ocean via the hudson river in upstate new york. Credit for this entrepreneurial attitude is due, in part, to a nationallysignificant treasure.
Their goal was to open up westward inland transportation routes to the great lakes from schenectady, and particularly to improve transportation for agricultural products. Describes the architecture along the erie canal villages. Lock 17 and lock 18 and shopping new york legacy products. The erie canal was the foundation of rochester, mayor warren said. Erie canal road trips the new york state canal system is within a days drive 400 miles of 14 states, two canadian providences as well as toronto, canadas biggest city, new york city, the nations largest city and washington d.
This book chronicles a threeweek kayak adventure down the erie canal and the hudson river to the statue of liberty. The building of the erie canal was the engineering marvel that unleashed the growth of the young nation that was the united states. The erie canal museum, founded in 1962, seeks to keep erie canal history and heritage alive. The society has compiled a highquality collection of canal artifacts, artwork, books and. Jack kellys heavens ditch tells a nottobemissed story in a readerfriendly style. The canal put new york on the map as the empire statethe leader in population, industry, and economic strength. Erie canal book talk and gallery tour at nys museum the new. The erie canal was the most audacious public works project of its day, a gamechanger in american history, and the stage for some wild and intriguing characters and events including daredevils, zealots and mormons. Lake erie west end of erie canal wardell boat yard, north tonawanda, ny 716 6929428, mast storage. And while washingtons canal was a failure, citizens of new york thought they might be able to construct a canal that would reach hundreds of miles westward. The erie canal is a canal in new york, united states that is part of the eastwest, crossstate route of the new york state canal system formerly known as the. Building the erie canal and the american empire by. The locks at lockport, where the current double 24 12 foot high locks are adjacent to one sequence of the original 5 lock pairs.
He is best know for his books documenting new yorks architectural heritage, including 200 years of rochester architecture and gardens and classic buffalo. While the canal had many fathers, its foremost proponent and promoter was dewitt clinton. He believed that his city could only become a major economic force by the building of the erie canal. We have more books available by this author 208 pp. Sep 15, 2019 the new york state museum is set to hold a book talk and gallery tour, focusing on the erie canal, on wednesday, september 25th, from 6 to 8 pm before the presentation, exhibit curator and senior historian brad utter will lead a themed exhibit tour of enterprising waters. Landmark society of western new york mohawk valley heritage corridor commission n.
New york has long been a state of big ideas and the kind of cando spirit that turns them into reality. New york states grand or erie canal extended 363 miles from the hudson river in the east to lake erie in the west requiring a series of locks along the way to. Places to stay at no charge with water and electric. The reserve on the erie canal is an innovative, 327home residential community located in brighton. Glen lee dunsworth, of topeka, kansas formerly from erie, loving husband of leora martelldunsworth, passed away on friday, june 7th. Martin morganstein, development director of the museum, and joan h. The erie canal transformed new york city into americas commercial capital. Erie canalway national heritage corridor history and. In the early 19th century, dewitt clinton, governor of new york, championed and oversaw the construction of the erie canal, which linked the eastern seaboard to the great lakes and thus helped secure a future for the. However you decide to ride, you are sure to enjoy endless adventures along the way. The canal consisted of 85 locks to manage a 500 foot 150 meter rise in elevation from. Originally, it ran 363 miles 584 km from the hudson river in albany to lake erie in buffalo.
Chris fritton navigates lockview v on the erie canal and through locks 34 and 35 and many lift bridges in lockport, ny. Believing the erie canal to be a porkbarrel project that would only benefit upstate towns, many of new york city. Includes the oswego, cayugaseneca, champlain and erie canals. Built between 1817 and 1825, the original erie canal traversed 363 miles from albany to buffalo. The canal s width was extended to 125 feet with a minimum depth of twelve feet. All the information necessary to enjoy cruising the new york canal system. Devoted to the history of the erie canal in general, as told through images old prints, paintings, maps and postcards, traces recent photographs of the remains of old erie canal sites and structures, and a tour a journey from buffalo in the west to albany in the east by way of a clickable map of the erie canal path. Definitely more of a history book as opposed to an engineering book on how the canal was built, but definitely worth the read to realize the impact the canal had on. Erie canal book talk and gallery tour at nys museum the. For those interested in research the book features a comprehensive index as well as a canal glossary and a chronology of events to help readers explore the canal legacy. The title in english is tour of the united states of north america, with special reference to the erie canal courtesy of the new york public library. Sure to be a hit, this thoughtprovoking book will definitely spark discussion. The erie canal is a canal in new york, united states that is part of the eastwest, crossstate route of the new york state canal system formerly known as the new york state barge canal. Erie canal cruises rated excellent by 1,053 travelers.
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