Once The Second Longest Canal In The World, New York's Erie Canal Was A True Feat Of Engineering
By Christy Articola|Published May 26, 2022
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Christy Articola
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Christy Articola has lived in Colorado since 2013 and considers herself a Centennial State enthusiast and expert through and through. She's based in Denver metro, but over the past decade, she has traveled to every corner, river, village, park, town, and city in the state and continues to explore it deeper and further whenever she can. Christy simply can't get enough of Colorado, and loves sharing all her adventures with you through Only In Your State! She graduated with a degree in journalism from Fordham University and is thrilled to be working as a full time travel writer for this and other sites - she finally found her perfect niche - and is so grateful for that.
The Erie Canal was completed in 1825 and it was an engineering marvel that is still impressive even by today’s standards. Its construction allowed people and goods to travel the 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo in five days rather than in two weeks, and it reduced freight shipping rates by 90 percent. This canal was not only integral in the development of New York state, but to the development of the United States in general as a young nation. It completed the water route between the Atlantic Ocean at New York City via the Hudson to the Great Lakes and therefore to mid-western cities as well.
It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of The Erie Canal’s role in our nation’s early growth and development. Without this canal, completed almost 200 years ago, the United States would not be what it is today. Furthermore, the fact that it was possible to construct something like this that long ago is a true feat of engineering.
This incredible canal was dug by hand by 5,000 men, primarily Irish immigrants, over an eight year period. In most areas, it was 40 feet wide and four feet deep. Once completed, it connected more than 200 communities along the way. It was the world's second longest canal at the time, after China's Grand Canal.
Although the Erie Canal has been filled in in many places, much of it still exists and is still used today.
In the early 1800s, boats did not yet have engines. They were propelled by sails or by paddles. Erie Canal boats, however, were pulled by mules or horses that walked with their handlers on the towpath adjacent to the canal.
The majority of the water in the Erie Canal was flat and still or very slow moving. The boats simply glided along the surface, thanks to the propulsion assistance from the horses and mules. Additionally, the boats were short so that they could fit under the numerous low bridges along the way.
Perhaps even more impressive than the digging of the canal itself was The Erie Canal's innovative lock system. Comprised of 83 locks, it allowed boats to move in either direction along the canal way with ease, despite the difference of nearly 500' of elevation between Albany and Buffalo.
The most challenging part of the canal to build was near Lockport in western New York. In this town, five locks had to be built one after another to lift and lower boats on the canal 49 feet.
Today, some of the locks are still functional and are used on a daily basis. They have been updated over the years, but they still work in ways that were similar to the original Erie Canal locks so long ago.
Locks were not invented by the designers of the Erie Canal, however. Their design is attributed to Leonardo DaVinci. However, the vast number of locks on the Erie Canal at this point in early United States history is impressive and spectacular.
Boats enter the lock and large doors close behind them. Then, water is pumped into the lock to raise the boat, or pumped out to lower it. Then, doors at the other end are opened so the boat can continue.
This is Lock 18 near Herkimer. Passing through the locks today is like taking a trip back in time. They way that they work is amazing even today, almost 200 years later.
You can still enjoy the Erie Canal today. Many companies offer boat rides and tours on the remaining portions of the canal. Most are in boats that are replicas of the types of boats that were used on the canal in the early to mid 1800s.
There are also more than two dozen parks and museums that you can visit along the Erie Canalway today to enjoy the canal and learn more about it, such as the Erie Canal Discovery Center in Lockport shown here.
As you can see, the Erie Canal is an amazing piece of New York and United States history. Not only did it help our country to get where it is today, but it was a true engineering marvel that was far ahead of its time. It’s great that we are still able to visit parts of the Erie Canal today to enjoy it and to celebrate its place in American history and culture.
