SOURCE: [The Erie Canal Organization, 1896]
The Route
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The Erie canal was originally 363 miles (from Albany to Buffalo), and later extended to 524.
"Politicians and engineers consciously selected an interior route from the Hudson River directly to Lake Erie... The interior route helped ensure that Midwestern timber and produce would flow through New York State to market." |
The Erie Canal was the first water link between the Atlantic seaboard and the Great Lakes.
"There is a very large mountain range that goes from Canada to Georgia, and there’s not a lot of break in it, so getting west is complicated. There is one very significant break at the Mohawk Valley. So long ago, explorers, politicians, saw this break in the mountains and said ‘You know, that could be our chance. That could be our way west.'"
-Natalie Stetson, Executive Director at the Erie Canal Museum
"The success of the Erie Canal required expansion of the Canal to accommodate more and larger boats. As that growth continued, it sparked the creation of canal systems across the eastern United States, and Canada as well." The canal was enlarged over time to 200’ by 14’ and carried barges of 3,000 tons.
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The chosen route caused the rapid development of adjacent cities.