An Engineering Marvel of the 19 th Century

The Erie Canal

The Erie Canal was first proposed because of a recurring problem of limited transportation between costal ports and the Great Lakes in the interior.

Rivers could not be used for transportation because the path from the Lakes to the sea was obstructed by the Appalachian Mountains.

Passengers and freight had to travel overland, a journey made more difficult by the rough condition of the roads.

Background

It was decided that an inland water route to the West would boost the country’s economy.

The new canal would run from the Hudson River to the eastern shore of Lake Erie.

Background

Map of the Erie Canal -- c. 1840

The original canal was 363 miles long and ran from Albany, New York on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York on the shores of Lake Erie.

The finished canal would be 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep.

Proposal & Logistics

Profile of the original canal

The canal was built in a pass through the Appalachian Mountains called the Mohawk Valley.

The Mohawk Valley offereda natural passageway betweenthe Catskill Mountains to thesouth and the Adirondack Mountains to the north.

Proposal & Logistics

Satellite image showing the natural passage created by

the Mohawk Valley.

A problem with the Mohawk Valley is that it rises 600 feet from its base on the Hudson River to the shore of Lake Erie in the north.

A system of locks would have to be used to raise boats up the canal. Each lock would only raise a boat 12 feet, so a long string of locks would be needed.

Proposal & Logistics

Aqueduct over the Mohawk River at

Rexford

The principle engineer for the Erie Canal project was Benjamin Wright.

Benjamin Wright was also commissioned as the surveyorof the Mohawk Valley in order to map a route for the project.

He was known as the “Father of American Civil Engineering.”

Engineers

Benjamin Wright

Construction began on July 4, 1817 at Rome, New York.

The main problems were felling trees and clearing out the soil dug up to make the canal.

Parts of the canal had to beabandoned because of lastminute route changes.

Construction

Stonework of lock abandoned because of route change, at

Durhamville, New York.

As more workers arrived at the project, the rate of construction increased rapidly.

It took three men to build one mile in a year. This was a very good speed, considering the circumstances.

A total of 7,000 men, mostly Scottish and Irish immigrants, worked on the canal.

Construction was completed an the canal opened on October 26th, 1825.

Construction

One of the major obstacles in the Erie Canal project was the Montezuma Marsh.

Over 1,000 men died of swamp fever and construction almost stopped.

Obstacles

Images of the Montezuma Marsh.

Another obstacle on the way to lake Erie was the Niagara Escarpment. It was partially blasted with dynamite

This was an 80 foot high cliff that led up to the shores of Lake Erie. A series of tall locks were placed in a natural ravine to get around it.

Obstacles

This lock in the canal

gave rise to the

modern communit

y of Lockport.

The Erie Canal ran from Albany New York on the Hudson River to Buffalo, on the shore of Lake Erie.

The route basically followed the route of the Mohawk River, up the southern edge of the Mohawk Valley.

Route

1853 Map of New York canals,

including the Erie Canal

After the canal opened, a number of enlargements and improvements were added.

The main solution used to patch leaky parts of the canal was a cement that set underwater, called hydraulic cement.

In 1834 a massive enlargement of the canal took place. This was Known as the “First Enlargement”.

Enlargements & Improvements

Many parts of the canal were completely restored in the First

Enlargement.

There were many feeder canals and tributaries added to the Erie Canal.

Many other canals linking up to the Erie Canal were also built in the region.

The Erie Canal was eventually combined with these other canals to form the New York State Barge Canal.

Enlargements & Improvements

View of the lock at Pittsford, NY

As the canal brought travelers to New York City, it took business away from other ports such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland.

In 1837, the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad opened so to bypass the slower parts of the canal.

Other railroads opened across the East Coast, as they were a faster and more efficient means of travel.

Competition

After the opening of the new bypass railroad, a track spanning the whole length from New York City to Albany and Buffalo was completed.

Competition

Map of the Erie Canal

and surrounding

New York railroads.

The Erie Canal made an immense contribution to the wealth and importance of New York City, Buffalo, and New York State.

The Canal also helped bind the still-new nation closer to Britain and Europe. British repeal of the Corn Law resulted in a huge increase in exports of Midwestern wheat to Britain.

Impact

Packet dock in Syracuse, New York c. 1905

A PowerPoint Presentation by Jacob Stokes

The End