Begun in 1817 and opened in its entirety 1825 , the Erie Canal is considered the engineering marvel of the 19th Century.
Why was the Erie Canal built?
It was built to create a navigable water route from New York City and the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes , originally stretching for 363 miles (584 km) from the Hudson River in Albany to Lake Erie in Buffalo.
How long did it take to build the Erie Canal?
The canal was completed in only 8 years at a cost of $7,000,000. When completed on October 26, 1825, DeWitt Clinton (by then Governor of New York) boarded a vessel, the Seneca Chief, in Buffalo and headed to New York City.
Is the Erie Canal still in use today?
Erie Canal Today
Portions of the original canal are still operable , though tourism is now the main source of boat traffic along the Erie Canal. Commercial and shipping traffic declined abruptly after the completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959.
Was the Erie Canal built in 1903?
The Erie Canal forms a branch of the New York State Canal System, a network of canals established in 1903. ... The waterway was completed in 1825, and on October 26 of that year the canal boat Seneca Chief set out on a trip from Buffalo to New York City.
How deep is the Erie Canal now?
| JUST THE FACTS | Canal dimensions, 1918- present Erie Barge Canal 12-23 ft deep x 120-200 ft wide; locks 310 ft long | Cost to build $7,143,789 | Return on Investment 10 years | Number of aqueducts to bypass rivers and streams 18 |
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What president built the Erie Canal?
DeWitt Clinton
His efforts paid off, and in 1817 the first canal authorization bill passed by a narrow margin. Clinton was elected Governor later that year, just before construction of the Erie Canal started at Rome on July 4, 1817.
How many Irish died building the Erie Canal?
While there are no official records of immigrant deaths, somewhere between 8,000 and 30,000 are believed to have perished in the building of the New Basin Canal, many of whom are buried in unmarked graves in the levee and roadway fill beside the canal.
Why is the Erie Canal so low?
Water levels drop on the canal after the flow of water is reduced . ... The Erie Canal is drained every year to allow repairs and maintenance over the winter.
Does the Erie Canal freeze?
The Canal was partially drained for five months a year because winter freezes made it unusable . Because it was so shallow, the Canal could freeze very quickly, trapping boats in ice. But the frozen canal also created many opportunities for recreation, such as ice skating at the widewaters or the aqueduct.
What city was most changed by the Erie Canal?
The Erie Canal transformed New York City into America’s commercial capital. Believing the Erie Canal to be a pork-barrel project that would only benefit upstate towns, many of New York City’s political leaders tried to block its construction.
How did they dig the Erie Canal?
The canal was built largely with raw manpower provided by Irishmen using primitive tools with very little compensation for their hard work. The men completed a canal that was 40 feet wide, 4 feet deep, and stretched hundreds of miles. It could support boats with 30 tons of freight.
Is the Erie Canal man made?
Built between 1817 and 1825 , the original Erie Canal traversed 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo. It was the longest artificial waterway and the greatest public works project in North America.
What was the nickname of the Erie Canal?
Clinton’s Ditch – Nickname for the original Erie Canal, which opened in 1825.
Can you swim in the Erie Canal?
Beneath the seemingly calm surface of the Erie Canal, dangers lurk. ... State law prohibits swimming, diving or fishing in any canal lock chambers , from the lock walls or from any other canal structure.
Is the Erie Canal dirty?
Their response: the canal in our area is labeled as being clean , having only what the DEC calls “minor impacts.” That’s mainly due to nutrients or runoff from farms, nothing that could cause any health issues. A department spokesperson says boating, paddleboarding, and fishing is okay but swimming is not encouraged.
