Two Original Erie Canal Locks Rediscovered

Washington Times ^ | 11-3-2003 | Alicia Chang

[blam]

COHOES, N.Y.

[blam]

I read that except for the Erie Canal, the financial center of the US would be at a port further south and not at New York.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Yes.

NYC grew because it's ties through the Hudson to the interior. That, in turn, led in part to the industrial growth in the interior (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois) and inland NY/CT that won the Civil War.

[NewYorker]

Very interesting post and topic. Thank you Blam!

[pierrem15]

Probably Baltimore, with its good port and rail access through the Potomac valley to the Ohio river basin.

LOL-- Charm City as Wall Street, "Hey hon, house about them T-Bills?"

[kitkat]

Thanks for the article, Blam.

The writer didn't note that the boats on the Erie Canal reached NY City via the Hudson River from Troy NY which is near Albany. Also, on a return trip,
the boats could sail from Buffalo into the interior by way of Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes.

The Canal was built laregly by Irish immigrants who worked under extremely bad conditions and often died from illnesses associated with the digging.

[JZoback]

Nice article. I didn't even know the canal was lost

[Miss Marple]

When I was in grade school, there was a song in our music book which we learned and performed:

I've got a mule, her name is Sal.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
She's a good old worker and a good old pal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
We've hauled some barges in our day,
Filled with lumber, coal and hay,
And we know every inch of the way
From Albany to Buffalo.
Low, bridge, everybody down!
Low bridge, we're comin' to a town!
You will always know your neighbor, and always know your pal
If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal!

[billorites]

I lived for three years, as a newlywed and college student, in Utica, NY on the upper reaches of the Mohawk river.

The Erie Canal made Utica a rich city 160 years ago and the architectural history of the city speaks to it today.

Driving east on the New York Thruway elements of the old canal can be seen driving through Frankfort, Ilion, Herkimer, Amsterdam, etc.

It's really pretty neat. Like seeing the old wagon tracks of the Oregon Trail, but much older.

Lincoln took this route east by train to his inaugural in 1861.

[Prof Engineer]

ping

[blam]

"When I was in grade school, there was a song in our music book which we learned and performed:"

Neat.

We had "London bridges all broke down."

[Sam Cree]

Sometimes I take the train from Syracuse down into the City. It follows the Erie Canal and Mohawk River into Albany, then goes right along the Hudson all the way into NYC. Just a beautiful trip, the entire way.

Last winter, the entire canal and the Hudson were frozen over, the tugs were breaking a path through the channels in the Hudson, and dogs were walking around on the Erie - Mohawk.

[mjp]

[Miss Marple]

I never thought much about that songbook until my own children were in school. It had a lot of early folk music, Stephen Foster, classics, light opera, and foreign songs.

We had a heck of a music teacher and put on three programs per year, complete with costumes and sets.

Another one of the songs we learned was "Drill ye tarriers, drill" about the Irish immigrants who worked on the railroads.

[lysie]

Great article. Bookmarked for Hubby to read.

[ohio-eriecanalprincess]

anyone heard of the ohio and erie canal?

[SunkenCiv]

This topic was posted 11/02/2003, thanks blam.