The Oswego Canal a Connecting Link Between the United States and Canada, 1819-1837 Janet Larkin
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Document generated on 09/26/2021 5:57 a.m. Ontario History The Oswego Canal A Connecting Link Between The United States and Canada, 1819-1837 Janet Larkin Volume 103, Number 1, Spring 2011 Article abstract In this article the author argues that the Oswego Canal (1825-1829) was a vital URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1065479ar commercial link in the Great Lakes-Atlantic seaway, but its real worth became DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/1065479ar evident with the opening of Canada’s neighboring Welland Canal in 1829. The newly fashioned Oswego-Welland line offered an alternative route to the much See table of contents publicized Erie Canal, and brought increased prosperity, settlement, and economic and social opportunities to the Great Lakes region. An important story in its own right, the Oswego Canal, especially in connection with Canada’s Publisher(s) Welland, was one of North America’s more important systems of internal navigation. The Ontario Historical Society ISSN 0030-2953 (print) 2371-4654 (digital) Explore this journal Cite this article Larkin, J. (2011). The Oswego Canal: A Connecting Link Between The United States and Canada, 1819-1837. Ontario History, 103(1), 23–41. https://doi.org/10.7202/1065479ar Copyright © The Ontario Historical Society, 2011 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ The Oswego Canal 2 A Connecting Link Between The United States and Canada, 1819-1837* By Janet Larkin , vol. 1 (1850) , vol. Pictorial Field Book Revolution of the Field Pictorial “The Oswego Canal, whether viewed in reference to the business done on it, or to the facilities it affords for intercom- munication with the Canadas, may very justly be regarded as an important and interesting feature in the internal improvements of this state.” The Western Guidebook and Emigrant’s Directory (1834).1 Oswego harbour in 1848 from Benson J. Lossing, in 1848 from Benson harbour Oswego “ he Oswego Canal,” trumpeted New York market.”2 While Americans the Kingston Chronicle in June were busy celebrating their “Grand Erie of 1830 “which has lately been Canal,” Upper Canadians were actively Tcompleted joins the great Erie Canal at monitoring developments on New York’s the village of Syracuse. The completion Oswego Canal that connected Oswego’s of the Welland Canal which unites the bustling port on Lake Ontario with the waters of Lake Erie and Ontario will ma- Erie Canal at Syracuse. Officially opened terially increase the trade of Oswego—it to traffic in 1829, the Oswego Canal being supposed that a large portion of would become Upper Canada’s gateway the produce coming through that chan- to New York, unlocking a vital commer- nel will enter the Oswego Canal, for the cial waterway between the United States * I am greatful to R.Arthur Bowler for reading earlier drafts of this article and Thomas McIlwraith who provided helpful comments and suggestions in addition to the maps. Craig Williams, history cura- tor of the New York State Museum, drew my attention to the unique illustration of the Oswego Canal. Thanks also to the editor and anonymous readers ofOntario History. 1 The Western Guidebook and Emigrant’s History: Containing General Descriptions of Different Routes Through the State of New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan (Buffalo, 1834). 2 From the Kingston Chronicle, reprinted in the Oswego Palladium, 2 June 1830. Ontario History / Volume CIII, No. 1 / Spring 2011 2 ONTARIO HISTORY The newly fashioned Oswego- Welland line brought increased Abstract prosperity, settlement, and so- In this article the author argues that the Oswego Canal cial and economic opportuni- (1825-1829) was a vital commercial link in the Great ties to the Great Lakes region. Lakes-Atlantic seaway, but its real worth became Though frequently regarded as evident with the opening of Canada’s neighboring Welland Canal in 1829. The newly fashioned Oswego- a mere “extension” or branch of Welland line offered an alternative route to the much New York’s grand Erie Canal, publicized Erie Canal, and brought increased prosper- the Oswego Canal, especially ity, settlement, and economic and social opportunities in conjunction with Canada’s to the Great Lakes region. An important story in its own right, the Oswego Canal, especially in connection Welland, was one of North with Canada’s Welland, was one of North America’s America’s more important sys- more important systems of internal navigation. tems of internal navigation. ������������������������North America’s nineteenth Résumé: Le canal Oswego (1825-1829) était déjà un lien commercial essentiel dans la voie maritime century transportation leaders reliant les Grands Lacs à l’Atlantique, mais sa early looked to the Oswego Ca- réelle utilité fut vraiment mise en lumière avec nal as a viable avenue of trade. l’ouverture du canal Welland en 1829. La nouvelle In speaking of the Oswego, route Oswego-Welland non seulement offrait une famed canal engineer, Benjamin alternative au canal Erie, mais elle fut aussi à l’origine d’une nouvelle prospérité, de nouveaux Wright, who provided invalua- établissements comme de nouveaux développements ble service on both the Erie and sociaux et économiques dans la région des Grands Welland canals, remarked, “all Lacs. Important en lui-même, le canal Oswego devint intelligent men at an early date alors, en liaison avec le canal Welland au Canada, l’un des plus importants systèmes de navigation looked that way as the natural intérieure en Amérique du Nord. route for improvement.”3 Amer- ica’s longest serving Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin, and Canada. Subsequent developments urged his statesmen to consider a conti- like the opening of the Welland Canal nental-wide vision of transportation, see- affirmed the Oswego Canal’s worth in ing in the Oswego Canal, and an addi- the Great Lakes-Atlantic water system. tional canal around Niagara Falls, a more Closely skirting Niagara Falls between comprehensive system of navigation. Re- Lakes Ontario and Erie, the Welland Ca- nowned New York engineer and Surveyor nal, together with the newly opened Os- General, James Geddes, whose work was wego, eliminated more than 150 miles as critical on the Welland Canal as it was of navigation on the Erie Canal’s west- the Erie, examined the Oswego route in ern end, making it an attractive alterna- 1808, reporting favourably on both the tive to inland merchants and shippers. Oswego Canal and the as yet determined 3 In David Hosack, Memoir of De Witt Clinton (New York, 1829), 269. the oswego canal 2 Erie Canal route between Albany and number of salt boats and lumber rafts in- Buffalo. However, the pleas of the New tended for Lake Ontario and the St. Law- York City merchants, who feared the Os- rence market. Clinton was impressed by wego route was too closely linked to Lake the Canada-United States connection, Ontario and the Montreal market, along- noting that in 1809 ninety-ton lake ves- side future Governor De Witt Clinton, sels filled with teas, East India goods, whose sagging political fortunes would coffees and other merchandise regularly S be mended by backing the Erie channel, plied between Oswego and Upper Can- worked in the Erie Canal’s favor.4 Still, ada. Oswego’s residents faithfully sub- the Oswego improvement was never far scribed to the Upper Canadian Guardian from the minds of canal proponents. for commercial news and opportunities Having secured his pet project, even De in the neighbouring country.7 Ironically, Witt Clinton, now dubbed the “father of the rampant smuggling that occurred D the Erie Canal,” went on to promote the in this region during the embargo and Oswego improvement. More than once War of 1812 awakened borderland mer- did Clinton acknowledge the Oswego chants to the thriving inland trade. Con- Canal as “an important link in the chain sequently, when New Yorkers went to of communications.”5 build the Oswego Canal, the Canadian Upper Canadians closely followed market was regarded as essential to the the internal improvements drive in canal’s success. These connections would neighbouring New York. Indeed, some be strengthened with the opening of the of the keenest supporters of the Oswe- Welland Canal that sent trade to Oswe- go Canal were Canada’s merchants and go, Kingston and Montreal. entrepreneurs who benefited from the Though countless politicians, engi- American system. Long before the Erie neers, legislatures, and private individuals Canal’s celebrated opening in 1825, Os- had encouraged the building of the Os- wego’s commercial importance as a lake wego Canal for years past, it was not until port had been established with contacts the second decade of the nineteenth cen- principally at Kingston, on Lake On- tury that improvements to the Oswego tario, and Montreal on the St. Lawrence.6 River began. An important development While investigating the Oswego route in in the canal’s history came in 1819 with 1810, De Witt Clinton saw firsthand the the completion of the mile-long Salina 4 Evan Cognac, The Birth of Empire: DeWitt Clinton and the American Experience, 1769-1828 (Ox- ford: Oxford University Press, 1998), 104. 5 Onondaga Register, 2 November 1825. An earlier speech by Clinton to the Albany legislature gives further praise to the Oswego improvement and can be read in the American newspaper Niles Weekly Regis- ter, 29 January, 1820; 17, 438.