Erie Canal Timeline
| 1808: | New York State Legislature authorizes a survey of possible canal routes. |
| 1817: | Construction begins on the Erie Canal. |
| 1825: | Completion of Erie Canal between Buffalo and Albany. Official opening of the Erie Canal. |
| 1835: | Legislature approves first enlargement of the canal to a minimum of 70 feet wide and seven feet deep. |
| 1862: | New York State legislature declares completion of Erie Canal enlargement. |
| 1895: | Second enlargement of the canal is approved, deepening it to a minimum depth of nine feet. |
| 1903: | Third enlargement of the Erie Canal is passed as part of the Barge Canal Act, which amalgamated the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, Cayuga, and Seneca canals into the New York State Barge Canal System. |
| 1918: | The Barge Canal is completed at a cost of $155 million. |
| 1959: | Opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which can accommodate ocean-going vessels. |
http://www.eriecanal.org/UnionCollege/timeline.html