The Waterway West: Construction of New York's Erie Canal

The Erie Canal - The Waterway West (NY) [1]

The Erie Canal was one of the engineering marvels of the nineteenth century, overcoming daunting obstacles to provide a viable trade route from New York to the West. Travel the Mohawk Towpath Byway and come closer to the rich history of the canal.

During the colonial history of New York, merchants faced a very large transportation barrier: the Appalachian Mountains. While the Appalachians appear less daunting than other mountain ranges, such as the Rocky Mountains, their thick forest cover and scarcity of mountain passes were substantial obstacles to wagon trains traveling to settlements in the West. At that time, only three roads crossed the mountains, one of them along the Mohawk River. These unpaved roads disintegrated during bad weather and were often too muddy even for riders on horseback. Water transportation was a much better option.

Cohoes Falls (NY) [2]

As an alternative, however, the Mohawk River raised some challenges of its own. The mighty Cohoes Falls presented a 62-foot barrier. Skirting it required shippers to haul their boats sixteen miles over land from Albany to Schenectady. The State of New York dug canals across some of the Mohawk's smaller obstructions to ease transportation, yet as the roads improved, trade along the waterways began to fade.

The idea for one unified canal was proposed in 1808. By 1817 the idea had gained immense popularity. Mayor DeWitt Clinton of New York City used this support for the canal to become governor of New York. When the federal government rejected the project, he backed it with state funds, hiring immigrant workers to complete one of the engineering marvels of the nineteenth century.

Historic Erie Canal Photo: Aqueduct over the Mohawk River (NY) [3]

When completed, the Erie Canal connected Albany on the Hudson River to Buffalo on the shores of Lake Erie. Suspended aqueducts carried the canal hundreds of feet over entire valleys, and even across the Mohawk River. A series of locks overcame the 500-foot height difference between the two cities, and finally bridged the water route between Schenectady and the Hudson. Of this series of locks, the Cohoes Flight of Locks came to be known as the Terrible Sixteens. A boat took an entire day to pass them. Barge crews would literally fight each other to be first into the locks. Some boats would even hire brawlers to ensure priority.

Historic Canal Towpath (NY) [4]

Today, the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway preserves many of these historic canal sites. While today's watercraft no longer need mules pulling in fifteen-mile shifts, the towpath remains open for hiking, biking, and nature walks. Come explore New York history along the Erie Canal.