Erie Canal

History of the Erie Canal In order to open the country west of the Appalachian Mountains to settlers and to offer a cheap and safe way to carry produce to a market, in 1808, Governor Dewitt Clinton proposed the construction of a canal. However, it was not until July 4, 1817 that Governor Clinton finally broke ground for the construction of the canal. In those early days, it was often sarcastically referred to as "Clinton's Big Ditch". When finally completed on October 26, 1825, it was the engineering marvel of its day. 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".

History of the Erie Canal On July 4, 1817, the Erie Canal was begun at Rome, NY. 363 miles long from Albany to Buffalo. 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep. Connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.

The Locks The Erie Canal rises 566 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie through 57 (originally 83) locks. From tide-water level at Troy, the Erie Canal rises through a series of locks in the Mohawk Valley to an elevation of 420 feet above sea-level at the summit level at Rome. Continuing westward, it descends to an elevation of 363 feet above sea-level at the junction with the Oswego Canal, and finally rises to an elevation of 565.6 feet above sea-level at the Niagara River.

The Locks

The Locks In the early days of the canal, when horses and mules walked the towpath, this is how a canal boat passed through a lock

The Boats A packet, pulled by fresh horses, covered 80 miles in 24 hours. Carried only passengers and hand luggage.

How much did canal workers earn in a month in 1823? Captain, $30.00 Steersman, $15.00 Steward, $12.00 Hostler, $10.00 Cabin boy, $4.80 What did travel cost? Packet rates in 1835- Passengers $.05 a mile (includes meals and lodge.)

"The Marriage of the Waters" by C. Y "The Marriage of the Waters" by C.Y. Turner, 1905 -- A mural decoration in the DeWitt Clinton High School, N.Y.C . depicting Governor DeWitt Clinton pouring water from Lake Erie into the ocean at New York in a ceremony celebrating the "Marriage of the Waters" between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic in 1825.

Canal Terms Muleskinner- A mule driver. Canal- A man-made waterway. Hoggee- A young boy who drove the mules that towed the canal boats. Lock- A way to raise or lower a boat on a canal. Packet- Passenger boat on canal, usually traveling about four miles per hour.