ERIE CANALERIE CANAL 32 WWW.ALBANY.ORG WWW.ALBANY.ORG

March 25—August 20 Spotlight: Commemorating the Erie CanalAlbany Institute of History & Art, Albany 463-4478 albanyinstitute.org

May 15Canal FestivalWaterford Visitors Center, Waterford233-9123 town.waterford.ny.usCelebrating the opening of the canal season.

June 17—19 & October 7—9New York Path Through History WeekendsThe weekend will feature nearly 300 events at historic venues across the state where you can enjoy New York’s rich culture and heritage.

July 1Waterford Steamboat MeetWaterford Harbor Visitor CenterOne Tugboat Alley, Waterford233-9123 town.waterford.ny.usTake a trip back in time to when the canal was in its industrial heyday.

July 9—16Cycle the Erie Canal Bike TourBuffalo to Albany ptny.org/events/annual-bike-tourEnjoy beautiful scenery, fascinating history, and a one-of-a-kind cycling experience on this fully supported ride along the canal.

August 11—20Canal Splash!canals.ny.gov/news/events/specialStatewide canal celebrations including nature and history walks, museum and gallery exhibits, rowing regattas, kayak and canoe outings, musical performances, boat tours and more.

Starting September 1Enterprising Waters: New York’s Erie CanalNew York State Museum, Albany474-5877 nysm.nysed.orgErie Canal retrospective upon its bicentennial.

September 8—10Waterford Tugboat RoundupWaterford Harbor Visitor CenterOne Tugboat Alley, Waterford233-9123 tugboatroundup.comTugboats will face-off on Saturday and Sunday, competing with raw strength and piloting skills. Deckhands will toss heavy lines and “show you how it’s done.”

2017Canal Events

Falls View Park and School Street Hydroelectric FacilityNorth Mohawk Street, Cohoes 231-341The spectacular 75-foot Cohoes Falls on the Mohawk River is a must-see destination that was pivotal to construction of the Erie Canal and the birth of industrialization in America. Engineers constructed 18 locks on the Erie Canal threading through Cohoes to lift and lower boats around the falls. Visit Falls View Park, with its large observation area, fishing access and picnic tables. Hike to the base of the falls (conditions dependent).

Waterford Flight, Lock 2 and Old Champlain CanalOne Tugboat Alley, WaterfordIn 1915 the Erie Canal was enlarged and rerouted and the locks in Cohoes were replaced by the remarkable Waterford Flight. For more than 70 years, the five locks of the Waterford Flight composed the highest lift over the shortest distance in the world. Stroll alongside the canal and visit Lock 2 at the Waterford Harbor; then drive up Flight Lock Road to see Locks 3 through 6.

Mohawk Towpath National Scenic BywayWaterford to SchenectadyThis National Scenic Byway is a 26-mile driving route that follows the Mohawk River/Erie Canal from Waterford and Cohoes to Schenectady. Discover the waterway west, the Erie Canal and the role that local communities played in the westward expansion of the country and in the Industrial Revolution.

Paddle the Erie Canalwww.upstatekayakrentals.com Launch your kayak, canoe, or standup paddle board at Peebles Island State Park or from the boat ramp near the Waterford Harbor Visitor Center in Waterford. Rentals are available at the Waterford Harbor from Upstate Kayak Rentals.

Compiled by Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

Top 3 ways to Experience t he Erie Canal Today

Seeing t heCanal

April 15, 1817NYS Legislature passes the act to construct the Erie and Champlain Canals.

July 4, 1817Ceremonial first digging for the Erie Canal takes place at Rome.

October 22, 1819Erie Canal between Rome and Utica is complete.

June 14, 1818First boats pass through the locks at Seneca Falls.

July 4, 1820Syracuse celebrates completion of the Erie Canal from Utica to the Seneca River.

November 18, 1821The flight of locks at Little Falls are complete, opening navigation from Montezuma to Schenectady.

September 10, 1823Champlain Canal opens end to end.

October 1, 1823The Genesee Aqueduct is complete and the Erie Canal is in operation from Rochester to Albany.

June 24, 1825The capstone is laid on the Lockport Locks.

October 26, 1825Erie Canal complete; Gov. DeWitt Clinton departs Buffalo leading a flotilla of boats across the canal to New York City

November 4, 1825Grand celebrations take place in New York City as Clinton performs the “Wedding of the Waters,” pouring water from Lake Erie into the Atlantic Ocean.

Erie Canal Timeline

For more adventures, visit Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

at www.eriecanalway.org

The original Erie Canal, constructed between 1817 and 1825, connected Albany on the

Hudson River, with Buffalo, a small emerging village at the eastern end of Lake Erie. Over 360

miles in length, “Clinton’s Ditch,” as it was known, provided the first continuous connection

by water between the eastern and western ends of New York State, and prior to the advent

of the railroad, the canal was the primary means of transporting goods across the state.

The canal was discussed throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, and some smaller canals

were constructed under the leadership of former Revolutionary War General Philip

Schuyler, but it wasn’t until DeWitt Clinton was elected governor of the state of New

York that the construction of the Erie Canal began in earnest.

Clinton took office on July 1, 1817, and three days later, construction of the canal

began at Rome, where there was a long flat plain east to Utica and nearly as far west as

Syracuse. Early settlers and immigrants worked long hours with primitive tools to dig the

canal. Within two years, 15 miles of the canal opened between Rome and Utica, and six

years later in 1825, the entire stretch between Albany and Buffalo was complete. The canal

was enlarged multiple times to make way for larger boats. Today, the Erie Canal and a

network of connecting waterways are still in service as America’s most iconic and enduring

man-made waterway.

The Construct ion of t he Erie Canalby Anthony Opalka, Historian for the City of Albany

Photos provided by Erie Canalway National Heritage

Corridor

Look for this logo in the event calendar for more Canal events.

You can cruise in your boat or get onboard a tour boat, seek out an overnight excursion, or rent a self-skippered canal boat. The waterway is also great for kayaking and canoeing.

Get on the WaterHundreds of thousands of residents and visitors celebrate canal heritage each year at festivals along the water. You’ll find events that focus on food and beverages, crafts, boats, live music, recreation, re-enactments, and more.

Enjoy Festivals and EventsWalking or cycling on the Erie Canalway Trail offers a glimpse of what travelling across the state with a canal boat in tow might have been like. You can ride for a few hours or become an “end-to-ender” to experience it all.

Cycle the Erie Canalway Trail