HISTORY OF THE CANAL SYSTEM
OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

TOGETHER WITH BRIEF HISTORIES OF THE CANALS
OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

VOLUME I

BY NOBLE E. WHITFORD

CONTENTS.

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INTRODUCTION
 
PART ONE -- HISTORICAL -- NEW YORK CANALS.
SECTION ONE -- EXISTING CANALS.
SYNOPSIS OF CANAL PERIODS
 
I. FIRST ATTEMPTS AT IMPROVEMENT.
  From the time of the first settlements to the completion of operations by the Inland Lock Navigation Companies.
II. BUILDING THE ERIE.
  From the inception of the idea of an internal route to the opening of the completed canal.
III. ENLARGING THE ERIE.
  From the formal opening of the original canal to the completion of the first enlargement.
IV. LATER IMPROVEMENTS OF THE ERIE.
  From the completion of the first enlargement in 1862 to the beginning of the second enlargement in 1895.
V. SECOND ENLARGEMENT OF THE ERIE.
  From the legislative enactment authorizing a nine-foot channel to the beginning of the third enlargement, or the Barge canal.
VI. THE CHAMPLAIN CANAL.
  From the beginning of the work to the present time, including the Glens Falls feeder.
VII. THE OSWEGO CANAL.
  From the abandonment of the "Ontario route" to the present time.
VIII. THE CAYUGA AND SENECA CANAL.
  From the inception and construction of a part of the canal by the Seneca Lock Navigation Company to the present time, including the purchase, completion and subsequent operation by the State.
IX. THE BLACK RIVER CANAL.
  Including both the canal and Black River Improvement, and the storage reservoirs of the Black river territory, from the inception of the project to the present time.
X. THE BALDWINSVILLE CANAL AND THE SENECA RIVER TOWING-PATH.
  Including the building and control of the canal by Jonas C. Baldwin and his sons, the improvement of the towing-path and the appropriation of the canal by the State, and their maintenance to the present time.
XI. THE ONEIDA RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
  The plans for betterment by the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company; the slight improvements by private enterprise; and the State's share in providing for navigation, to the present time.
XII. THE SHINNECOCK AND PECONIC CANAL.
  Traces of an early canal opened by an Indian chief; the survey by the State in 1826, and again in 1879; the incorporation of private companies in 1828 and 1848 to build Long Island canals; the beginning of the canal in 1884, and its subsequent completion and continued use.
XIII. SLIPS AND OTHER ADJUNCTS OF THE ERIE CANAL AT BUFFALO.
  Historical accounts of the building, use and present condition of the Maine and Hamburg and the Clark and Skinner canals, the Ohio slip and basin, the Prime, Commercial and Coit slips, the Evans ship canal, the Erie basin with its slips Nos. 1, 2 and 2 (now called Peacock, Erie and Niagara slips, respectively), and the City ship (formerly Blackwell) canal.
 
SECTION TWO -- ABANDONED CANALS.
XIV. THE CHEMUNG CANAL.
  From the early inception of this route to join the natural streams of New York and Pennsylvania to the abandonment of the canal.
XV. THE CROOKED LAKE CANAL.
  From the inception of the project to the abandonment of the canal.
XVI. THE ONEIDA LAKE CANAL.
  Including the construction of the canal by the Oneida Lake Canal Company, the purchase by the State, the abandonment of the Old Oneida Lake canal, and the construction and abandonment of the New Oneida Lake canal.
XVII. THE CHENANGO CANAL.
  From the early agitation, through the building, operation, decline and final abandonment of the canal, to the present use of a portion as a feeder for the Erie canal.
XVIII. THE CHENANGO CANAL EXTENSION.
  From the first survey in 1838, through the work of partial construction, to the final abandonment of the whole Chenango route.
XIX. THE GENESEE VALLEY CANAL.
  Including the Dansville branch, the extension to Millgrove, and the various feeders and reservoirs, from the inception of the project to the abandonment of the canal.
 
SECTION THREE -- NEW YORK CANALS BUILT BY PRIVATE
ENTERPRISE.
XX. THE DELAWARE AND HUDSON CANAL.
  The discovery of the anthracite coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania; the opening of eastern markets to this coal by the building of a canal through private enterprise, under charters from New York and Pennsylvania; the growth of this company into a great railroad corporation, and the final abandonment of its canal.
XXI. THE JUNCTION CANAL.
  The survey of the route by the State in 1839; the incorporation of a private company; the building of the canal by this company, and its final abandonment.
XXII. CANAL COMPANIES INCORPORATED BY NEW YORK STATE.
  A tabular list of companies chartered for constructing navigable canals within New York State.
 
SECTION FOUR -- SPECIAL FEATURES.
XXIII. THE ABANDONMENT OF THE LATERAL CANALS.
  A history of the events and a study of the causes which led to the abandonment of the lateral canals.
XXIV. THE CANALS AS A SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING.
  The New York canals, the great pioneer work of engineering in America - the first American school of engineering. "From this school arose nearly all the canal engineers who have lined the map of the country with their works of internal improvements." (D.S. Gregory, writing in 1866.)
XXV. THE INFLUENCE OF THE ERIE CANAL.
  Treated especially with reference to the first half of the nineteenth century. An investigation of the effect of the canal upon the nation, and particularly the shores of the Great Lakes and the State and City of New York; and a study of the development of the zones of territory bordering the through waterway between New York and Buffalo.
  TABLES APPENDED TO CHAPTER XXV.
 
SECTION FIVE -- CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME OF IMPORTANT LAWS
AND EVENTS.
  Tables, arranged chronologically, of important laws and events, connected with each of the following public improvements: the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, Cayuga and Seneca, Chemung, Crooked Lake, Oneida Lake, Chenango, Black River and Genesee Valley canals, the Chenango canal extension, the Baldwinsville canal and Seneca River Towing-path, the Oneida River Improvement, the Cayuga (Montezuma) marshes, the Hudson river and the Shinnecock and Peconic canal.
 
INDEX of both volumes, at end of Volume II.

MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

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Map of the canal system of the State of New York.
Reproduction of a map accompanying Colden's History of the Five Indian Nations.
Lock at Little Falls, built about 1800.
Early canal advocates.
Map of State (1811), showing profile of proposed canal, with inclined planes.
Entrance of the canal into the Hudson at Albany (old print).
The opening of the Erie canal.
"The Marriage of the Waters".
Large medal to commemorate completion of Erie Canal.
Keg carrying Lake Erie water, and small medal to commemorate completion of Erie canal.
View of the aqueduct bridge at Rochester (old print).
Aqueduct over the Genesee river at Rochester.
The combined locks at Lockport.
Canal-boat on inclined plane.
Bird's-eye view of Shinnecock and Peconic canal.
Map showing slips and adjuncts of the Erie canal at Buffalo.
Original combined locks at Lockport (old drawing).
Bird's-eve view of the combined locks at Lockport.
View of the aqueduct bridge at Little Falls (old print).
Aqueduct at Little Falls, present condition of original structure.
Aqueduct over the Seneca river - "Richmond" or Montezuma aqueduct.
Map showing divisions of New York State, in connection with the study of "The Influence of the Erie Canal."
Plate No. I -- Diagram illustrating growth of New York City, and diagram illustrating decline and increase of values
          in New York State.
Plate No. II -- Diagram illustrating growth of divisions of New York State.
Plate No. III -- Diagram illustrating effect of canal on population of adjacent country.
Plate No. IV -- Diagram illustrating relations between towns bordering waterways and more remote portions of
          border counties, and diagram illustrating effect of canal on distribution of alien population.
Plate No. V -- Diagram illustrating relative progress of States of Union and of divisions of New York State.
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