Historic Erie Canal Trails

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Historic Erie Canal Trails n o . t 0 (! 5 Frog Ponds 4 h Founded in Rochester by Henry A. Ward in 1862, Wards Natural . g 0 i 3 Science Establishment supplied science education materials r .0 1 B to museums and institutions. These four ponds are remnants .0 t 3 of a frog breeding area developed by Wards in the 1970s. S Historic Erie Canal .0 .2 4 6 Today, they provide aquatic habitat for a variety of plants m r i and animals in the Preserve - including frogs! e f .0 . v 5 o 6 2 o l m Trails i ! C Spring (! 6 The Undercrossing n House .06 .1 The Rochester & Eastern Rapid Railway left the townofpittsford.org 1 w Commons m Pittsford station for Rochester and crossed o i Lock 62 / Auburn Trail Loop 4.67 Miles T under the New York Central Railroad line. .1 The northeastern portion of the loop follows the roadbed of the Auburn & (! 1 Lock 62 4 Oak Hill Referred to as an undercrossing, it was m Rochester Railroad, the first railroad east of Rochester. Active from 1840 to i filled in and the former New York Lock 62 was in operation until . Country 3 1960, it was built to connect Auburn and Rochester by way of Seneca Falls, 1 .2 Central line above now serves 1918 when the Old Erie Canal was m 1 . Club 0 Geneva, and Canandaigua. It became part of the New York Central Railroad i m 8 as the Auburn Trail. expanded into the Barge Canal and .01 i m .2 in 1853. From 1903-1930, the Rochester & Eastern Rapid Railway Company diverted south of Rochester. Now a i 0 M mi ran a private high-speed electric trolley from Rochester to Geneva parallel to the Canal Park, remnants of this 9 foot lift Wegman's o n New York Central Railroad line. The right-of-way is now owned by RG&E. double chamber lock are still visible. Plaza ro The first chamber was built in 1856, e .02 .1 . The southwestern portion of the loop follows the bed of the 19th century Erie .1 1 .01 16 and the second was completed in 1873. .03 0 m m i Canal from the Spring House on Monroe Avenue to Lock 62, and the towpath . m i . 0 0 i Pittsford 6 6 Place from Lock 62 to the current canal. This section of the canal opened as "Clinton's .1 Ditch" in 1822, was enlarged in the 1850s, and closed in 1919 when the Old Erie (! 2 Odenbach Shipyards (!1 0 m Mall .01 .2 In the late 1930s, hulls for tankers were .0 2 Canal was expanded into the Barge Canal and was diverted south of Rochester. 9 i mi Lock 62 m constructed in the old bed of the Erie Canal i .0 just south of French Road. Too big to be used Pittsford 4 Pittsford Road i Trail Rules: r on the canal, they were floated down to New Lock 62 . Colony m 2 . e Plaza 0 0 9 Please Stay on Path 4 8 4 d 2 k York City for final fitting to be used in deeper m Plaza . A Canal a m i a u Clean Up After Your Dog o b i . water. During World War II, the company 0 u u Park 4 R rn Closed During Hours of Darkness Q y moved off of Dewey Avenue in the Town of .0 w T . 5 Pk r No Motorized Vehicles Greece to build landing craft for the war effort. 10 m a k il i l m ) No Horses e t i a i v e r n Alcoholic Beverages Prohibited P ( o C (! 3 Lock 32 Fre .0 l .7 Hunting Prohibited nch 8 o 3 m m C There are 34 locks on the Erie Canal that separate i .2 e i 5 n the Hudson River at Waterford from the Niagara (!2 m a d r i i River near Buffalo. Each lock has similar chamber Odenbach a L o C dimensions capable of raising and lowering boats Shipyards R 31 y B? n a up to 300 feet long and 43.5 feet wide with a t k L t o .1 i r s 12 foot draft. Lock 32 has a 25.1 foot lift. o 2 o r w n m e B c B o l i k d l a A i e .0 6 m M E 1 (! 4 Widewaters . 2 6 0 a (!6 1 .0 1 . The topography of the area just west of Lock 32 made s 5 W e t s F t (!5 T Village of it ideal for the creation of "widewaters" - an area which r . Erie r 0 .03 a 5 a B m g .02 n Canal r allowed canal traffic to turn around. The Widewaters o i Pittsford L o h i l c A i o d . n n k v 1 a m Turning Basin offers a look into the canal's past - the o e Nature 0 g R . a 1 9 h 0 i r wooden hulls of abandoned barges are completely m Preserve 1 a . m B i m visible when the canal is drained in the winter, Croft . 7 Village 1 1 Road 8 m . and still partially visible in the summer. land i DPW od Road . C 0 . o 6 . mi 6 1 2 l W 8 .1 8 Hearthstone o m i Pittsford . i m v m Schoen 08 .08 e Road 4 L i 1 r Sewer . a Road Road Widewaters n Department .04 e S d i (!4 k a 0 m t .2 .03 Lock 32 o o o R Beach Road r State Canal k st .02 B ar a Park B?65 P E Smead st .2 .0 Ea For trail related maintenance 3 m 5 Road i i m issues, please contact the Parks 4 l .29 m 6 na Department at (585) 248-6495. 0 0.1 0.2 (!3 i ail . Ca Lock 32 Erie Canalway Tr Any other concerns can be Trail directed to the Department of Miles E February 2021 rie Public Works at (585) 248-6250. Sidewalk.
Recommended publications
  • Low Bridge, Everybody Down' (WITH INDEX)
    “Low Bridge; Everybody Down!” Notes & Notions on the Construction & Early Operation of the Erie Canal Chuck Friday Editor and Commentator 2005 “Low Bridge; Everybody Down!” 1 Table of Contents TOPIC PAGE Introduction ………………………………………………………………….. 3 The Erie Canal as a Federal Project………………………………………….. 3 New York State Seizes the Initiative………………………………………… 4 Biographical Sketch of Jesse Hawley - Early Erie Canal Advocate…………. 5 Western Terminus for the Erie Canal (Black Rock vs Buffalo)……………… 6 Digging the Ditch……………………………………………………………. 7 Yankee Ingenuity…………………………………………………………….. 10 Eastward to Albany…………………………………………………………… 12 Westward to Lake Erie………………………………………………………… 16 Tying Up Loose Ends………………………………………………………… 20 The Building of a Harbor at Buffalo………………………………………….. 21 Canal Workforce……………………………………………………………… 22 The Irish Worker Story……………………………………………………….. 27 Engineering Characteristics of Canals………………………………………… 29 Early Life on the Canal……………………………………………………….. 33 Winter – The Canal‘sGreatest Impediment……………………………………. 43 Canal Expansion………………………………………………………………. 45 “Low Bridge; Everybody Down!” 2 ―Low Bridge; Everybody Down!‖ Notes & Notions on the Construction & Early Operation of the Erie Canal Initial Resource Book: Dan Murphy, The Erie Canal: The Ditch That Opened A Nation, 2001 Introduction A foolhardy proposal, years of political bickering and partisan infighting, an outrageous $7.5 million price tag (an amount roughly equal to about $4 billion today) – all that for a four foot deep, 40 foot wide ditch connecting Lake Erie in western New York with the Hudson River in Albany. It took 7 years of labor, slowly clawing shovels of earth from the ground in a 363-mile trek across the wilderness of New York State. Through the use of many references, this paper attempts to describe this remarkable construction project. Additionally, it describes the early operation of the canal and its impact on the daily life on or near the canal‘s winding path across the state.
    [Show full text]
  • Four Thousand Ships Passed Through the Lock: Object-Induced Measure Functions on Events
    MANFRED KRIFKA FOUR THOUSAND SHIPS PASSED THROUGH THE LOCK: OBJECT-INDUCED MEASURE FUNCTIONS ON EVENTS 1 . INTRODUCTION 1.1. Event-Related and Object-Related Readings The subject of this paper* is certain peculiar readings of sentences like the following ones: (1)a. Four thousand ships passed through the lock last year. b. The library lent out 23,000 books in 1987. C. Sixty tons of radioactive waste were transported through the lock last year. d. The dry cleaners cleaned 5.7 million bags of clothing in 1987. e. 12,000 persons walked through the turnstile yesterday. Take the first example, (la) (it is inspired by the basic text of the LiLog project of IBM Germany, which first drew my attention to these sen- tences). It clearly has two readings. The first one, call it the object-related reading, says that there are four thousand ships which passed through the lock last year. The second one, call it the event-related reading, says that there were four thousand events of passing through the lock by a ship last year. The object-related reading presupposes the existence of (at least) four thousand ships in the world we are talking about. In the event-related reading, there might be fewer ships in the world. In the limiting case, a single ship passing through the lock about 12 times a day would be suffi- cient. We find the same ambiguity in the other examples of (1). The library might contain fewer than 23,000 books, there might be less than sixty tons of radioactive waste, there might be less than 5.7 million bags of clothing, and there might be fewer than 12,000 persons - but the sentences (lb-e) could still be true in their event-related readings.
    [Show full text]
  • Erie Canalway Map & Guide
    National Park Service Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor U.S. Department of the Interior Erie Canalway Map & Guide Pittsford, Frank Forte Pittsford, The New York State Canal System—which includes the Erie, Champlain, Cayuga-Seneca, and Oswego Canals—is the centerpiece of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Experience the enduring legacy of this National Historic Landmark by boat, bike, car, or on foot. Discover New York’s Dubbed the “Mother of Cities” the canal fueled the growth of industries, opened the nation to settlement, and made New York the Empire State. (Clinton Square, Syracuse, 1905, courtesy Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Extraordinary Canals Company Collection.) pened in 1825, New York’s canals are a waterway link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes through the heart of upstate New York. Through wars and peacetime, prosperity and This guide presents exciting Orecession, flood and drought, this exceptional waterway has provided a living connection things to do, places to go, to a proud past and a vibrant future. Built with leadership, ingenuity, determination, and hard work, and exceptional activities to the canals continue to remind us of the qualities that make our state and nation great. They offer us enjoy. Welcome! inspiration to weather storms and time-tested knowledge that we will prevail. Come to New York’s canals this year. Touch the building stones CONTENTS laid by immigrants and farmers 200 years ago. See century-old locks, lift Canals and COVID-19 bridges, and movable dams constructed during the canal’s 20th century Enjoy Boats and Boating Please refer to current guidelines and enlargement and still in use today.
    [Show full text]
  • Waterway Dimensions
    Generated by waterscape.com Dimension Data The data published in this documentis British Waterways’ estimate of the dimensions of our waterways based upon local knowledge and expertise. Whilst British Waterways anticipates that this data is reasonably accurate, we cannot guarantee its precision. Therefore, this data should only be used as a helpful guide and you should always use your own judgement taking into account local circumstances at any particular time. Aire & Calder Navigation Goole to Leeds Lock tail - Bulholme Lock Length Beam Draught Headroom - 6.3m 2.74m - - 20.67ft 8.99ft - Castleford Lock is limiting due to the curvature of the lock chamber. Goole to Leeds Lock tail - Castleford Lock Length Beam Draught Headroom 61m - - - 200.13ft - - - Heck Road Bridge is now lower than Stubbs Bridge (investigations underway), which was previously limiting. A height of 3.6m at Heck should be seen as maximum at the crown during normal water level. Goole to Leeds Lock tail - Heck Road Bridge Length Beam Draught Headroom - - - 3.71m - - - 12.17ft - 1 - Generated by waterscape.com Leeds Lock tail to River Lock tail - Leeds Lock Length Beam Draught Headroom - 5.5m 2.68m - - 18.04ft 8.79ft - Pleasure craft dimensions showing small lock being limiting unless by prior arrangement to access full lock giving an extra 43m. Leeds Lock tail to River Lock tail - Crown Point Bridge Length Beam Draught Headroom - - - 3.62m - - - 11.88ft Crown Point Bridge at summer levels Wakefield Branch - Broadreach Lock Length Beam Draught Headroom - 5.55m 2.7m - - 18.21ft 8.86ft - Pleasure craft dimensions showing small lock being limiting unless by prior arrangement to access full lock giving an extra 43m.
    [Show full text]
  • The Schuylkill Navigation and the Girard Canal
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation 1989 The Schuylkill Navigation and the Girard Canal Stuart William Wells University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses Part of the Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons Wells, Stuart William, "The Schuylkill Navigation and the Girard Canal" (1989). Theses (Historic Preservation). 350. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/350 Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Wells, Stuart William (1989). The Schuylkill Navigation and the Girard Canal. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/350 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Schuylkill Navigation and the Girard Canal Disciplines Historic Preservation and Conservation Comments Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Wells, Stuart William (1989). The Schuylkill Navigation and the Girard Canal. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/350 UNIVERSITY^ PENNSYLVANIA. LIBRARIES THE SCHUYLKILL NAVIGATION AND THE GIRARD CANAL Stuart William
    [Show full text]
  • Geographical Overview of the Three Gorges Dam and Reservoir, China—Geologic Hazards and Environmental Impacts
    Geographical Overview of the Three Gorges Dam and Reservoir, China—Geologic Hazards and Environmental Impacts Open-File Report 2008–1241 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Geographical Overview of the Three Gorges Dam and Reservoir, China— Geologic Hazards and Environmental Impacts By Lynn M. Highland Open-File Report 2008–1241 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2008 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Highland, L.M., 2008, Geographical overview of the Three Gorges dam and reservoir, China—Geologic hazards and environmental impacts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008–1241, 79 p. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1241/ iii Contents Slide 1...............................................................................................................................................................1
    [Show full text]
  • Mohawk River Canoe Trip August 5, 2015
    Mohawk River Canoe Trip August 5, 2015 A short field guide by Kurt Hollocher The trip This is a short, 2-hour trip on the Mohawk River near Rexford Bridge. We will leave from the boat docks, just upstream (west) of the south end of the bridge. We will probably travel in a clockwise path, first paddling west toward Scotia, then across to the mouth of the Alplaus Kill. Then we’ll head east to see an abandoned lock for a branch of the Erie Canal, go under the Rexford Bridge and by remnants of the Erie Canal viaduct, to the Rexford cliffs. Then we cross again to the south bank, and paddle west back to the docks. Except during the two river crossings it is important to stay out of the navigation channel, marked with red and green buoys, and to watch out for boats. Depending on the winds, we may do the trip backwards. The river The Mohawk River drains an extensive area in east and central New York. Throughout most of its reach, it flows in a single, well-defined channel between uplands on either side. Here in the Rexford area, the same is true now, but it was not always so. Toward the end of the last Ice Age, about 25,000 years ago, ice covered most of New York State. As the ice retreated, a large valley glacier remained in the Hudson River Valley, connected to the main ice sheet a bit farther to the north, when most of western and central New York was clear of ice.
    [Show full text]
  • Hydraulic and Structural Design of Navigational Locks
    nvironm E en l & ta Dhanuka et al., J Civil Environ Eng 2018, 8:1 i l iv E C n f g o i n DOI: 10.4172/2165-784X.1000297 l Journal of Civil & Environmental e a e n r r i n u g o J ISSN: 2165-784X Engineering Research Article Open Access Hydraulic and Structural Design of Navigational Locks Amit Dhanuka1*, Shivendra Kumar Agrawal2 and Honey Mehra1 1Howe Projects Engineering Pvt Ltd, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India 2Department of Irrigation and Hydraulics, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India Abstract Navigation lock is a structure in the waterway provided to create a safe navigation passage between two water pools which are not at the same level. The reason for difference in water levels can be natural such as tidal variations or can be manmade such as construction of dam or barrage across the river. The main components of Navigation lock comprise of approach channels, lock pit, filling/emptying arrangement. Design of lock depends on lockage time, water level variations, Lock capacity requirements, design vessel size. filling/emptying system shall be designed to work under gravity flow without any pumping requirements. Filling/emptying system is chosen to get appropriate filling/ emptying time. The optimum time for filling and emptying is generally kept between 8.0-10.0 minutes. The size of filling culverts are so computed to attain the optimum time for filling/emptying. Every lock is unique in terms of its geology, location, size, requirements and water level differences. Here typical design aspects of a navigational Lock in inland waterway have been described.
    [Show full text]
  • The Erie Canal in Cohoes
    SELF GUIDED TOUR THE ERIE CANAL IN COHOES Sites of the Enlarged Erie Canal Sites of the Original Erie Canal Lock 9 -In George Street Park, north oF Lock 17 -Near the intersection oF John Old Juncta - Junction of the Champlain Alexander Street. and Erie Sts. A Former locktender’s house, and Erie Canals. Near the intersection of Lock 10 -Western wall visible in George now a private residence, is located to the Main and Saratoga Sts. Street Park. A towpath extends through west of the lock. A well-preserved section the park to Lock 9 and Alexander Street. of canal prism is evident to the north of Visible section of “Clinton’s Ditch” southwest of the intersection of Vliet and Lock 11 -Northwest oF the intersection oF the lock. N. Mohawk Sts. Later served as a power George Street and St. Rita’s Place. Lock 18 -West oF North Mohawk Street, canal for Harmony Mill #2; now a park. Lock 12 -West oF Sandusky Street, north of the intersection of North Mohawk partially under Central Ave. Firehouse. and Church Sts. Individual listing on the Old Erie Route - Sections follow Main National Register of Historic Places. and N. Mohawk Streets. Some Lock 13 - Buried under Bedford Street, structures on Main Street date from the south of High Street. No longer visible. early canal era. Lock 14 - East of Standish Street, The Pick of the Locks connected by towpath to Lock 15. A selection of sites for shorter tours Preserving Cohoes Canals & Lock 15 - Southeast of the intersection of Locks Spindle City Historic Vliet and Summit Streets.
    [Show full text]
  • Erie Canal Fact Narrative
    The Erie Canal Story In the early 1800’s, Upstate New York was a wilderness. Swamps and dense forests covered the land. Dewitt Clinton saw the need for a faster, cheaper way to carry goods and people. He urged the building of a canal. After much debate, the legislature approved the building of the canal. On July 4, 1817, laborers began to dig the Erie Canal in Rome, New York. It was started in the middle of the state because the terrain was level and there was no need to build locks from Rome to Syracuse. The canal was completed in October 1825. It was 363 miles long from Albany to Buffalo. The rise from the Hudson River to Buffalo was 568 feet. There were 83 locks which were used to raise or lower the canal boats to the water level on either side of the locks. Eighteen aqueducts were built to carry the canal across rivers and creeks. In the beginning, the canal was 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep. The cost of the canal was $ 7,143,789 dollars. To pay for it, tolls were levied on traffic and there was also a tax on salt. Seven Weighlock Buildings were constructed to collect tolls. The only remaining Weighlock Building is located on Erie Boulevard in Syracuse, New York and is the site of the Erie Canal Museum. The Erie Canal was the first fast and cheap route through the Appalachian Mountains. Before the canal was built it took 15 to 45 days to travel from Albany to Buffalo by wagon and cargo cost about $125 a ton.
    [Show full text]
  • Barge Canal” Is No Longer an Accurate Description of the New York State Canals Marine Activity on New York’S Canals
    The Story of the Afterword Today, the name “Barge Canal” is no longer an accurate description of the New York State Canals marine activity on New York’s canals. Trains and trucks have taken over the transport of most cargo that once moved on barges along the canals, but the canals remain a viable waterway for navigation. Now, pleasure boats, tour Historical and Commercial Information boats, cruise ships, canoes and kayaks comprise the majority of vessels that ply the waters of the legendary Erie and the Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga- Seneca canals, which now constitute the 524-mile New York State Canal ROY G. FINCH System. State Engineer and Surveyor While the barges now are few, this network of inland waterways is a popular tourism destination each year for thousands of pleasure boaters as well as visitors by land, who follow the historic trade route that made New York the “Empire State.” Across the canal corridor, dozens of historic sites, museums and community festivals in charming port towns and bustling cities invite visitors to step back in time and re-live the early canal days when “hoggees” guided mule-drawn packet boats along the narrow towpaths. Today, many of the towpaths have been transformed into Canalway Trail segments, extending over 220 miles for the enjoyment of outdoor enthusiasts from near and far who walk, bike and hike through scenic and historic canal areas. In 1992, legislation was enacted in New York State which changed the name of the Barge Canal to the “New York State Canal System” and transferred responsibility for operation and maintenance of the Canal System from the New York State Department of Transportation to the New York State Canal Corporation, a newly created subsidiary of the New York State Thruway Authority.
    [Show full text]
  • Rivers Run Through It
    Name __________________________________________ Date____________________ Rivers Run Through It A physical map shows the landscape of the area covered: its mountains, rivers, and valleys, for example. A relief map is a one kind of physical map; it shows the heights and steepness of these features of the landscape. Like all maps, relief maps have a legend, a compass rose, and a scale. Use the Relief Map of New York State to answer the questions below. 1. The following states border New York. Fill in the blank boxes on the map with the correct state names. Pennsylvania New Jersey Connecticut Massachusetts Vermont 2. On the map, major bodies of water are labeled with numbers. Identify each one by writing the proper number next to each name below. _____Atlantic Ocean _____New York Harbor _____Long Island Sound _____Hudson River _____Lake Champlain _____Mohawk River _____Lake Erie _____Lake Ontario 3. An estuary is a body of water in which salty ocean water mixes with fresh water. Estuaries are located near the ocean and connected to it but partly surrounded by land. Three of the water bodies listed in Question 2 are estuaries. Which three are they? 4. The Hudson flows through or past three large sets of mountains. They are labeled with numbers on the map. Identify each one by writing the proper number next to its name below. ____Adirondack Mountains ____Catskill Mountains ____Hudson Highlands Rivers Run Through It: Page 1 5. Using the compass rose on the map, complete the following sentences by writing in the proper direction—north, south, east, or west. Example: Vermont is north of Massachusetts.
    [Show full text]