Learn how the Erie Canal transformed America, why Jefferson thought it was "just short of insanity," and how the Irish were the bravest of all! New episode premiering tomorrow! DO NOT MISS IT!
I live in Denmark in Europe. The Erie canal also changed our history. The economy was based on export of grain. The canal resulted in low price on grain in the global market. The farmers had to invent and started exporting butter and pork meet to England and the industrial workers. We still have a considerable export of Danish Bacon and Lurpak butter.
Jakob Soland Engbæk Thanks for sharing this. I'm 1/2 Danish- my maternal grandmother is from Riga, and immigrated to the US in the 1910's at Boston. I'd never considered that global economies would have been affected by more widely available commodities. tak skal du have :-)
Actually @Jakob the Clinton family had originated in Longford in Ireland. Longford is about 200km upstream from the mouth of the Shannon and the town was founded by the Vikings. So the (old) Danish economy contributed to the success of the canal!
The Eire Canal opened up the grain markets to Europe. By the time the St Lawrence Seaway was completed in 1959, there was less grain being exported to Europe.
In Rochester NY, the Erie canal intersects with the locally significant Genesee river - almost like a road intersection. The whole area is now a very pretty park complete with canal boats and kayaks and fisherman and bikers all going about their business in a scene that can only be described as peaceful. If you're in the area, stop by. It's quaint
I went to the U of R and recall walking there, I didn’t realize at first it was the Canal, it was neat. I also like how it ran next to the airport. Different eras of transportation juxtaposed.
I am from Rochester too although presently in L A. When I am back in Rochester I like to walk in back of the Pittsford library along the canal there. I would like to see more development similar to what exists in that stretch and development in downtown Rochester too.
The Erie Canal used to take a different route and went right through the center of Rochester. It crossed over the Genesee River on an Aqueduct, which is now Broad St. Bridge.
It is beautiful there. I delivered a load to a customer just east of Rochester several years ago. I noticed a bridge nearby and wondered if it could be....and it was! The Erie Canal was right there.
That's not the Erie Canal, it's the NYS Barge Canal, which was built around 1910. The Erie Canal crossed the Genesee river by the lower level of the Broad St. bridge in Downtown, Rochester. The Barge Canal uses a different route than the Erie Canal from around near Clover St. in Pittsford all the way to past Long Pond Rd. in Greece.
You're proud to actually beLIEve the ABSOLUTE NONSENSE that 200 years ago, in a matter of 8 years, a bunch of men using axes and shovels actually carved out a 360 mile long, concrete-enforced, 12'-23' deep navigable canal system, complete with working locks? That's nearly A MILE PER WEEK!
Yes, if you are using the total length, but the Erie Canal was a system of canals and rivers and reservoirs - now re-calculate using only the canal dug part.@@tjmmcd1
You are lucky, indeed. Throw a penny across the locks for me and I'll throw a penny for you across the Rio Grande. Oh, how I will visit St Marie Sault locks Michigan, take a Smoky Mts hike and southern Mississippi River Mark Twain cruise.
I'm a chief lock opearator this video sure gives me more pride about what I do for a living. been working the greatest job I have ever had for 18 years and still here it's been an adventure for me , it's great to meet all the wonderful boaters ,bicyclist and general people alike. Dreams do come true it's been my dream to be a chief lock opearator and now it's a dream come true ..keep the canal alive keep it clean and it will always give back if you give to it..clean fun , fishing 🎣 boating,or just the occasional walk..so welcome to the canal from all of us lock opearators.
You're a chief lock operator and you don't even question that 200 years ago, men using only hand tools cleared forests and built the entire 360 mile long Erie Canal, 12'-23' deep, complete with working locks, in a matter of 8 years? Are you KIDDING ME?
Amazing video! Proud Upstate New Yorker here! Growing up in Albany, going to college in Buffalo, and then attending graduate school in Rochester, the Erie Canal was always a familiar friend to me! Cycling along the beautiful canalway bike path, going on a boat ride or in a kayak in its waters, speeding alongside on the Thruway or on Amtrak, or watching the cool scene of a lock raising and lowing those many tons of water, are all such a joys! Another amazing video - Well done!
You went to college and actually believe that 200 years ago, men using hand tools carved-out a 12'-23' deep, 360 mile long canal system in a matter of 8 years?
@@CuriousEarthMan Are you talking about NYS BICYCLE route 5? I have never heard of BICYCLE route 5S. NY AUTO route 5 is pretty much a busy highway, especially where it pairs up with US20, and ain't nowhere near the canal in most places...
My family has been engrained in Western New York for generations. I grew up going under the Canal around Medina, riding my bike over the bridge in Middleport, going through the locks of Lockport, and swimming in the Canal. I grew up in a house on the Underground Railroad that was owned by Belva Lockwood. My grandfather had a part of every classic GM car from the 50s-70s. Very proud of my small part of the USA that has changed the nation and world. Come out. We have an absolutely beautiful state with some amazing people.
I too, grew up in Medina, NY around the Erie Canal. Drove under the canal at only such road that does so in the entire canalway. To all persons thinking New York is one big city should visit western NY and experience it's friendly people and quaint buildings. It's a visit worth taking.
This is by far my most favorite industrial construction story. It's just so damn cool. Lots of brave men that wasn't scared to push the boundaries and prove to themselves and others the impossible is possible with perseverance.
As a regional manager in the late 90's, my territory was from Erie to Syracuse, and I drove back and forth over the canal all week in my travels visiting some 60 locations mostly small towns (like Lockport). I could see that many of those towns had strong ties to the canal (like Medina) I never got lost because I had the canal to orient me.
Lockport isn't close to a small town, medina used the RR more so than the canal. Don't worry, my dad ran Lockport for 27 years. Pretty cool history though!
Other cities such as Washington and Philadelphia constructed competing canals with the goal to reach the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers but never came close to reaching the final destinations. These canals were eventually eclipsed by developing rail systems. A recommended book on the Erie Canal is the "Wedding of the Waters" by Peter L. Bernstein.
A lot of similar canals were blasted through Ontario - the Rideau and Trent-Severn, namely. The most impressive of them all is the Welland Canal, not too far from Buffalo. The same lock tech as on the Erie, except it moves 700-foot lake freighters. In fact the Welland (and the St Lawrence Seaway it was a part of) was one of the big things that killed the Erie, giving ships a more direct path to the ocean via Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River, and led to the prosperity of cities like Toronto and Montreal.
In 2000 I rode a bicycle from California, coast to coast to Connecticut. To get around, instead of over the Alleghenies I followed much of that canal route to Albany. What I learned along that route was that the NY State Barge Canal realignment promoted by Rockefeller made much of the the original canal right of way redundant. Thus it is now a bicycle trail that once was a railroad along the towpath, and includes rights of way for high tension electric power transmission towers in the overgrown old canal itself. So much of your more modern footage is of that realigned portion of the canal big enough for Rockefeller's oil barges to traverse it. Canalization of the Mohawk river through multiple dams made this newer version still relevant, despite the railroads absorbing most of the goods and passenger traffic. Thanks for explaining the History that preceded all of that.
Hoosier here. After the success of the Erie Canal my state tried to publicly fund a similar cross-state canal. The costs ended up bankrupting the state and led to a constitutional amendment which prevents the state government from going into debt. Part of the canal was constructed, and is now a nice pedestrian area of downtown Indy. This is another great video from an excellent channel
Hey do you know why they didn’t build a canal from lake Champlain through Ticonderoga NY to the Hudson into NYC? Seems like it would have been easier and accomplish the same. No?
As someone who has sailed up and down the barge canal on the only overnight cruise ships on the system. 34 up and 33 down! It’s great hearing it’s history.
In my Australian (Catholic) primary school we learnt, and sang, the song about the Erie Canal and it's very interesting to hear the story of this marvel I have been aware of for most of my life yet not really known much about. Low bridge, everybody down!
Being from Rochester,I took a college class on the Erie Canal. The man and his bear! Astonishing achievement ! Over the falls in a barrel with his bear. Sam Patch laid out the canal with a stick and a string ! Drunk with his bear 🐻🏴☠️
The Erie Canal shaped the lives of my father’s family. It was the highway that connected family in Herkimer County to those in Rochester and Lockport before 1840. My great-great grandparents moved to Lockport on the canal where my great-great grandfather became the owner of the Lockport newspaper. The last time I was in Lockport I went to the Erie Canal Discovery Center where I learned about the amazing feat of building the “Flight of Five” locks up the Niagara Escarpment. I tear up at hearing the Erie Canal song. I especially like Bruce Sprıngsteen’s version.
This is so cool. Thanks for putting this together. I live in Syracuse and the canal was not even a mile from my parents, which is funny because we didn't find out till earlier this year.
Syracuse has a GREAT Museum - the Erie Canal Museum right there on Erie Blvd inside the former weighlock building. We suggest to anyone that they stop in and check it out! Also - they have an awesome TH-cam Channel too!
Pittsford is a great example of a town whose birth can be attributed to the Erie Canal. In Schoen Place the original buildings from the 1800s remain intact. Stop by it's great for a walk in the summertime, and fascinating to see the canal at work. The local brewery even sent massive tanks through the area to construct on their site downtown using the Erie Canal fairly recently! Enjoyed the video, thank you!
I grew up n Pittsford and loved having the Erie Canal run through the village along with a lock by Clover St that my elementary school would have field days with a trip through the lock.
I had great-grandparents, grandparents and great uncles, all who lived in NT, and worked for Wurlitzer and Remington Rand. Mom and her two brothers graduated from NTHS.
@@chasbodaniels1744 Oh nice. The Wurlitzer building is still there but it isn't used for building organs anymore. It does have some really cool places in it, though. Like a Platter's Chocolate/Ice Cream Shop. Also an archery range where they will teach you how to use a bow. A few other cool shops, too.
@@MovedbyTruth Thanks for the info! I really ought to get up there to visit “old haunts”. (BTW, right now I’m looking at a large potted aspidistra plant in my living room which was taken from a cutting from great-grandma’s plant *alongside the canal in NT* in the 1930’s. Several family members took cuttings and have have passed down these daughter plants for decades!)
You might also do a history of the New York Central,as that company was tied into the Erie Canal too! After the establishment of the canal,the New York legislators put restrictions on the railroad,and during the winter shutdown of the canal,the railroad had to haul goods,at canal rates! That is an item,most people are not aware of,and the gentleman,most importantly who consolidated,what became the NYC,was Erastus Corning,and his work generated two mainline railroads! The other was the Erie( now the Southern Tier mainline),both railroads had to jump through hoops to get built! Anyway,that should give you three or four good videos! History is always fascinating,and very little understood,especially the ramifications,which are still visible today! Add one more canal,railroad combination,the Delaware&Hudson,as it also changed the face of New York State! Thank you for you attention,and time!! I 😇😇😇😇😇💯💯💯💯💯
Thank You for this very informative excellent video!!! All through school years in the 1960's and 1970's I read about the Erie Canal; and being a nerdy girl living in Texas, it always intrigued me. It was not until 2001 that I was finally able to see the original Locks. It was like seeing an old pen pal friend I had never met. I was actually overcome with emotion (I got emotional when viewing Niagara Falls for the first time, and when viewing my first Rembrandt too; it's what I do when nerdy things move me 😁). Everyone should occasionally step back and fully recognize that our world has not always been the way it is now, so we can all truly appreciate the amazing people and their achievements that made our modern lives possible!
As you touched on, Governor DeWitt Clinton (of new york), aggressively pursued the connection of Lake Erie with the Hudson River WITHOUT any support from the federal government. The waterway was commonly nicknamed "Clinton's Big Ditch.” I quite like that name, and when ever I hear about it, that pops right into my head. Thanks Mr. history teacher.
We like to ride bicycles along parts of the canal. Very interesting. The lift bridges, the gates used to isolate sections of the canal and towns along the canal are amazing still today. It’s a treasure for sure! 👍🇺🇸
Should have mentioned the Barge Canal as well. Many people, even the upstate NY locals, confuse the Erie and the Barge. Years after the Erie was built, it became necessary for some changes to the route. The Barge Canal was the next phase. It replaced some parts of the Erie with new sections, while including many others. The original canal is the Erie, while the modified version is the Barge.
The Erie Canal dramatically reduced the cost of moving a ton of goods west as far as Chicago. This helped settle the entire Midwest USA. It was crucial.
Anyone in NW Ohio, check out Providence Park in Grand Rapids, Ohio. You can (or use to be able to) ride a canal boat through a lock while being pulled by mules.
The Muskingum River from Zanesville to Marietta has all of the original locks and dams built the mid-1800's in working order. You can take your boat/kayak/canoe through them.
@@nuggets0717 I remember "just one more trip and back we'll go. Through Through hail and sleet and snow. And we'll know every part of the way, from Harmony, to Bufa- lowwwwww bridge, everybody down. Low bridge, cuz we're comin to the town" lmao. Grew up in Michigan. Wonder if there's different versions for different states.
The cover photo that caught my attention is a flipped negative of where the canal crosses the Genesee river at the war memorial arena and Dinosaur BBQ. My great grandfather was a barge captain and broke his back in Buffalo NY. It’s the only reason my grandfather met my grandmother and I exist.
Much of the early wealth of NYC came from all the raw materials shipped through the Erie Canal from the Great Lakes. How I wish that the Ohio and Erie Canal in Ohio hadn't been abandoned and filled in for large stretches. We lost a tremendous link to our past and it would be such a prize to have today had it been kept.
I live in Utica. The Erie Canal was critical in the development of our City and Valley. I always contest that without the Erie Canal and Mohawk Valley, the development of our country would have been dramatically slower.
For the record, the Battle of New Orleans actually occurred after the peace treaty had been signed. Communication just hadn't reached Jackson. It had zero impact on the war itself but did launch Jackson to prominence.
Low Bridge, everybody down Low bridge cause we're comin' to a town and you'll always know your neighbor, you'll always know your pal, if you've ever navigated on the Erie canal (song from grade school)
Worthy of note, In Michigan in 1838, construction began on the Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal. It was to begin in Mount Clemens on the banks of the Clinton River and continue through to the Kalamazoo River, about 216 miles. From there westward, the canal would carry new settlers and supplies to the interior of the state and eventually connect with Lake Michigan at the port of Singapore, MI. Passengers and freight would have been able to reach Chicago across Lake Michigan. After labor disputes and the advancement of railways, the project was abandoned. I live near what remains an historic site aka a ditch.
My mom was born and raised in Lockport. Would visit all the time growing up and still have family up there way. I’ve also been on a canal boat tour of the locks.
I have been in lockport and sat on edge of canal, it was really awesome. I live in Evansville, IN which was the terminus of the Wabash and Erie canal. On I64 you cross the old canal and in downtown Evansville we still have Canal St. Unfortunately the railroad locomotive was developed shortly after the canal and its days were doomed
If I am correct you are talking about an entirely different canal. I think the Wabash and Erie is not the same as the Erie canal. Different waterway connection and different states.
Start out in Lockport(my home) you can stand on top of locks 34 & 35 and see the Flight of Five. Travel east on Rt 31 to Medina and you can drive under the Erie Canal. Continue east on Rt 31 to Holley NY and you can stand at the bottom of Holley Falls which is feed by the Erie Canal
Love that area! Checked out the Flight, and the Discovery Center before snaggin' some delicious ice cream. Headed east from Lockport/Buffalo on I90 is the wonderful Port Byron center operated by the Canal Society of NYS. That's Def Worth Checkin Out!
Great documentary. Europe still uses many of their Canals. Another factor that enhanced NY City as an Industrial Giant was that they developed the Rail Roads to NY City from Boston and Philadelphia. With the Rails & Canal connecting into the Midwest, NY City would seal its fate and would become the " Big Apple ". Thanks. Watch & Enjoy.
We’re RVers. One of our favorite places to travel to is the Erie Canal area just south of Rochester. We would stay at an RV park just south of Rochester that was right on the Canal and we would ride our bicycles on the tow ways. We marveled at the lift bridges and lift dams used to drain sections of the Canal for repairs that were still in working condition.
I have passed thru every lock on the Erie canal. You mentioned the initial build and the 1860's rebuild, but you did not mention the last rebuild opened 1918. Very little of the original canal still exists. Thanks for the video!
I lived in the Albany Saratoga area and I used to play in the old Erie power canal and the original Erie Canal. There were so many tunnels underground that were used to power the mills, but also other tunnels that to this day I don't know what they were for. There were drug out of the shale and they were big enough to drive a small car though. They were hand dug and blasted The one that was in Cohoes connected the river to the power canal and I can't imagine how this worked, but in very old drawings and paintings you can see the tunnels had huge volumes of water flowing out of them. I really wish they would make it into a tourist attraction. This has been talked about, but never got done. The only access point that was still left was a square metal panel that opened to the tunnel and had a long deep metal ladder down to the floor of the tunnel. In the late 2000s, after 2005, this panel was paved over. I guess to keep anyone from getting into the tunnels, but when I was a kid there were open canals down most streets and along the railroad tracks was an exit for the water and the mayor at the time took a boat and rode up the tunnel under the city. I always wanted to do that
I used to live in Rexford, back in the early 1980's! Went to college at Hudson Valley Community College, Spent my weekends cruising and racing the streets of Schenectady!
At the western end of the canal, at the mouth of the Niagara River, Buffalo, is a hidden architectural gem. Silo City is unique in its scale. The Frank Lloyd Wright homes, the Pierce Arrow museum, the art museums are worth a trip.
@@daver00lzd00d I was referring to the Buffalo River which flows into Erie in the refurbished downtown area. You’re correct about the Niagara River though.
Excellent video. I wish someone would restore the canals in my area of Ohio,stark, Tuscarawas, Coshocton counties. I think it would great to boat, kayak and canoe.
Minor correction: RPI was not the first Civil Engineering program in the United States in 1824. Norwich University, at the time known as "The American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy", established a Civil Engineering program in 1820. Loved the video!
Great series, Ryan! Just a quick correction. We New Yorkers pronounce our Capital city as ALL- benny not al-Benny. At least when we're not throwing out corrupt politicians or criticizing New York's "business UNfriendly" confiscatory taxes! Carry on.
19:28 is Syracuse. Eire Blvd now lines what was once the canal. My own backyard we take for granted its history. The Erie Canal Museum is also located here in Syracuse, NY. Prett cool place
I live in Central Illinois but my family lives in Albany. I always get excited when I drive out to visit and see the old canal lock on display just off the Thruway. A well done video, but pronounce Albany like "All-bany". LOL
What I find fascinating is that the muddy roads didn't hinder construction of the most spectacular architecture ever constructed in early America. The canal systems mentioned in this documentary as "leaving much to be desired" where themselves a marvel. There is little to no mention of the construction of the massive network of canals across the USA. Check out the bayous of Louisiana for some old canal systems.
The finger lakes canal system is also part of the Erie canal system , where I live, Cayuga lake connects the Erie Canal to the canal system of the finger lakes.
Those lateral canals during "Canal-Mania" drove the success of the overall system. In the Finger Lakes as well as the Champlain Canal (Which just celebrated its 200th anniversary Sept. 7th, 2023).
The government “gave away” land already occupied by the natives. Edit: The majority of the area, what the United States bought was the "preemptive" right to obtain "Indian" lands by treaty or by conquest. This is of course in reference to the the brief discussion about the Louisiana Purchase. Great video, by the way
What I like about this, is someone thinking for himself, not using the gov or not to create something that shut them up as they mocked the guy. Back in those day's people found a way to get thing's done. The irish, and many immigrants faced prejudice, but made their way, and with so many different ethnicities, most people got bashed at some time or another. God bless.
Uh, they did use the government. Clinton was a local government official (Mayor NYC) who cajoled the state government into pushing the project when the Federal Government rejected it. State government paid private contractors to work on the project.
I live in Utica New York. If anyone is interested in a hiking tour from like Herkimer NY to Rome NY hit me up. Probably 100 miles, we can bike or hike!
i think it was around 5 or 6 years ago Genesee brewing in Rochester had to use the canal to get new tanks to the brewery because they where too large to transport on the road.
yes! 2017! that year saw a LOT of great canal happenings as we kicked off the bicentennial of its construction. The Corning Museum of Glass also had an awesome glass blowing barge making rounds, along with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum's Lois McClure sailing canal boat! All worth checking out.
God bless the underappreciated Irishmen who toiled so long getting this project completed. Not forgetting, of course, The thousands of other folks from all backgrounds and skills who lent their expertise to this project. It is the kind of fortitude that made America the greatest country on earth. I only wish that today's generation and Washington DC lawmakers would develop the same type of American enthusiasm, instead of this Racial division, victim culture, and feeling of entitlement which is so prevalent in today's society. God Bless America !
I married an irish catholic girl from Buffalo in the 1980s, and I was a little surprised, when at Thanksgiving a couple years later, her little brother told me he was going to be an engineering major, and I assumed electrical, or even data processesing as we called IT in those days. To my surprise, he got a civil e degree. I guess growing up next to the falls, in upstate new york even 200 years later, an irishman was either a cop, a lawyer (like his dad) or a ditch digger. I wish she and I were still in touch...
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Learn how the Erie Canal transformed America, why Jefferson thought it was "just short of insanity," and how the Irish were the bravest of all! New episode premiering tomorrow! DO NOT MISS IT!
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I live in Denmark in Europe. The Erie canal also changed our history.
The economy was based on export of grain. The canal resulted in low price on grain in the global market. The farmers had to invent and started exporting butter and pork meet to England and the industrial workers. We still have a considerable export of Danish Bacon and Lurpak butter.
Jakob Soland Engbæk Thanks for sharing this. I'm 1/2 Danish- my maternal grandmother is from Riga, and immigrated to the US in the 1910's at Boston. I'd never considered that global economies would have been affected by more widely available commodities. tak skal du have :-)
Actually @Jakob the Clinton family had originated in Longford in Ireland. Longford is about 200km upstream from the mouth of the Shannon and the town was founded by the Vikings. So the (old) Danish economy contributed to the success of the canal!
@@diarmuidbuckley6638
Thanks that is interesting.
The Eire Canal opened up the grain markets to Europe. By the time the St Lawrence Seaway was completed in 1959, there was less grain being exported to Europe.
In Rochester NY, the Erie canal intersects with the locally significant Genesee river - almost like a road intersection. The whole area is now a very pretty park complete with canal boats and kayaks and fisherman and bikers all going about their business in a scene that can only be described as peaceful. If you're in the area, stop by. It's quaint
I went to the U of R and recall walking there, I didn’t realize at first it was the Canal, it was neat. I also like how it ran next to the airport. Different eras of transportation juxtaposed.
I am from Rochester too although presently in L A. When I am back in Rochester I like to walk in back of the Pittsford library along the canal there. I would like to see more development similar to what exists in that stretch and development in downtown Rochester too.
The Erie Canal used to take a different route and went right through the center of Rochester. It crossed over the Genesee River on an Aqueduct, which is now Broad St. Bridge.
It is beautiful there. I delivered a load to a customer just east of Rochester several years ago. I noticed a bridge nearby and wondered if it could be....and it was! The Erie Canal was right there.
That's not the Erie Canal, it's the NYS Barge Canal, which was built around 1910. The Erie Canal crossed the Genesee river by the lower level of the Broad St. bridge in Downtown, Rochester. The Barge Canal uses a different route than the Erie Canal from around near Clover St. in Pittsford all the way to past Long Pond Rd. in Greece.
As a Buffalonian, this fills me with immense pride. Thank you. And yes, we do love our Erie Canal. I drive by and across it weekly.
You're proud to actually beLIEve the ABSOLUTE NONSENSE that 200 years ago, in a matter of 8 years, a bunch of men using axes and shovels actually carved out a 360 mile long, concrete-enforced, 12'-23' deep navigable canal system, complete with working locks? That's nearly A MILE PER WEEK!
@@tjmmcd1 lol what you think aliens did it or something?
Yes, if you are using the total length, but the Erie Canal was a system of canals and rivers and reservoirs - now re-calculate using only the canal dug part.@@tjmmcd1
You are lucky, indeed. Throw a penny across the locks for me and I'll throw a penny for you across the Rio Grande. Oh, how I will visit St Marie Sault locks Michigan, take a Smoky Mts hike and southern Mississippi River Mark Twain cruise.
I'm a chief lock opearator this video sure gives me more pride about what I do for a living. been working the greatest job I have ever had for 18 years and still here it's been an adventure for me , it's great to meet all the wonderful boaters ,bicyclist and general people alike. Dreams do come true it's been my dream to be a chief lock opearator and now it's a dream come true ..keep the canal alive keep it clean and it will always give back if you give to it..clean fun , fishing 🎣 boating,or just the occasional walk..so welcome to the canal from all of us lock opearators.
@Rick Baker - Awesome! Which lock? Have you visited Schoharie Crossing before?
@@SchoharieCrossing1825 I'm working in Lyons NY 28a and no I never had the pleasure of going there. Bet it's nice
@@rickbaker3179 That's a great area! We're all back east close by E12-Tribes Hill.
You're a chief lock operator and you don't even question that 200 years ago, men using only hand tools cleared forests and built the entire 360 mile long Erie Canal, 12'-23' deep, complete with working locks, in a matter of 8 years? Are you KIDDING ME?
Amazing video! Proud Upstate New Yorker here! Growing up in Albany, going to college in Buffalo, and then attending graduate school in Rochester, the Erie Canal was always a familiar friend to me! Cycling along the beautiful canalway bike path, going on a boat ride or in a kayak in its waters, speeding alongside on the Thruway or on Amtrak, or watching the cool scene of a lock raising and lowing those many tons of water, are all such a joys! Another amazing video - Well done!
Fellow 518 native here! So many transient memories walking along the old locks upstate 🤍🗽
Beautifully described. You paint a vivid word picture.
You went to college and actually believe that 200 years ago, men using hand tools carved-out a 12'-23' deep, 360 mile long canal system in a matter of 8 years?
NYS route 5 parallels the Erie Canal system from Albany to Buffalo, NY.
If you ever get a chance, it's a nice journey through upstate NY.
Good point. Definitely gonna' check that out next Spring.
Except that in most of western NY, Rt. 5 is 20 miles south of the canal, if not more.
@@alexclement7221 how about 5S on the south side?
@@CuriousEarthMan Are you talking about NYS BICYCLE route 5? I have never heard of BICYCLE route 5S. NY AUTO route 5 is pretty much a busy highway, especially where it pairs up with US20, and ain't nowhere near the canal in most places...
My family has been engrained in Western New York for generations. I grew up going under the Canal around Medina, riding my bike over the bridge in Middleport, going through the locks of Lockport, and swimming in the Canal. I grew up in a house on the Underground Railroad that was owned by Belva Lockwood. My grandfather had a part of every classic GM car from the 50s-70s. Very proud of my small part of the USA that has changed the nation and world. Come out. We have an absolutely beautiful state with some amazing people.
I love this. I’m from Rochester, and have many core memories of the Erie Canal.
I grew up in Medina! Still consider it “home “. Everyone should visit to enjoy real small town America.
I too, grew up in Medina, NY around the Erie Canal. Drove under the canal at only such road that does so in the entire canalway. To all persons thinking New York is one big city should visit western NY and experience it's friendly people and quaint buildings. It's a visit worth taking.
This is by far my most favorite industrial construction story. It's just so damn cool. Lots of brave men that wasn't scared to push the boundaries and prove to themselves and others the impossible is possible with perseverance.
As a regional manager in the late 90's, my territory was from Erie to Syracuse, and I drove back and forth over the canal all week in my travels visiting some 60 locations mostly small towns (like Lockport). I could see that many of those towns had strong ties to the canal (like Medina) I never got lost because I had the canal to orient me.
Lockport isn't close to a small town, medina used the RR more so than the canal. Don't worry, my dad ran Lockport for 27 years. Pretty cool history though!
Other cities such as Washington and Philadelphia constructed competing canals with the goal to reach the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers but never came close to reaching the final destinations. These canals were eventually eclipsed by developing rail systems. A recommended book on the Erie Canal is the "Wedding of the Waters" by Peter L. Bernstein.
Wedding of the Waters is def worth the read, as is "Bond of Union" and "The Artificial River"
A lot of similar canals were blasted through Ontario - the Rideau and Trent-Severn, namely. The most impressive of them all is the Welland Canal, not too far from Buffalo. The same lock tech as on the Erie, except it moves 700-foot lake freighters. In fact the Welland (and the St Lawrence Seaway it was a part of) was one of the big things that killed the Erie, giving ships a more direct path to the ocean via Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River, and led to the prosperity of cities like Toronto and Montreal.
In 2000 I rode a bicycle from California, coast to coast to Connecticut. To get around, instead of over the Alleghenies I followed much of that canal route to Albany. What I learned along that route was that the NY State Barge Canal realignment promoted by Rockefeller made much of the the original canal right of way redundant. Thus it is now a bicycle trail that once was a railroad along the towpath, and includes rights of way for high tension electric power transmission towers in the overgrown old canal itself.
So much of your more modern footage is of that realigned portion of the canal big enough for Rockefeller's oil barges to traverse it. Canalization of the Mohawk river through multiple dams made this newer version still relevant, despite the railroads absorbing most of the goods and passenger traffic. Thanks for explaining the History that preceded all of that.
How many flats did you get on your trek?
How long did it take you to complete this amazing accomplishment?
The Erie Canal museum in Syracuse, NY was one of my very best I’ve ever experienced. I want to go back without family there to shorten my visit.
Looking forward to checking this one out! We're a well known Erie Canal historic site in the Mohawk Valley.
I am amazed at how important Canals were to the development of America. Basically extremely powerful ditches.
Hoosier here. After the success of the Erie Canal my state tried to publicly fund a similar cross-state canal. The costs ended up bankrupting the state and led to a constitutional amendment which prevents the state government from going into debt. Part of the canal was constructed, and is now a nice pedestrian area of downtown Indy. This is another great video from an excellent channel
Where is that? Indianapolis?
Yeah that sounds like Indiana lol
So I was born and raised in Rochester (NY) and now I live in Indy and somehow I never made the connection between my two hometowns before!
Hey do you know why they didn’t build a canal from lake Champlain through Ticonderoga NY to the Hudson into NYC? Seems like it would have been easier and accomplish the same. No?
They. Did it opened before the Erie canal Canada built one to connect it to the St. Lawrence@@robertbotta6536
As someone who has sailed up and down the barge canal on the only overnight cruise ships on the system. 34 up and 33 down! It’s great hearing it’s history.
In my Australian (Catholic) primary school we learnt, and sang, the song about the Erie Canal and it's very interesting to hear the story of this marvel I have been aware of for most of my life yet not really known much about. Low bridge, everybody down!
15 miles on the Erie Canal?
Grew up in Fairport along the canal, it's still very important to the town and I can tell you one of the best parts about growing up there
Being from Rochester,I took a college class on the Erie Canal. The man and his bear! Astonishing achievement ! Over the falls in a barrel with his bear. Sam Patch laid out the canal with a stick and a string ! Drunk with his bear 🐻🏴☠️
Great video. I live in Chillicothe Ohio. Canal history is in my blood.
The folk song, "15 Miles on the Erie Canal" kept playing through my head. I learned this song in grade school back in the 1960's.
I’ve got a mule and her name is Sal!
The Erie Canal shaped the lives of my father’s family. It was the highway that connected family in Herkimer County to those in Rochester and Lockport before 1840. My great-great grandparents moved to Lockport on the canal where my great-great grandfather became the owner of the Lockport newspaper. The last time I was in Lockport I went to the Erie Canal Discovery Center where I learned about the amazing feat of building the “Flight of Five” locks up the Niagara Escarpment. I tear up at hearing the Erie Canal song. I especially like Bruce Sprıngsteen’s version.
Amazing. Grew up in Detroit singing the Erie Canal song but had no idea the history. Especially interesting to me as an engineer.
This is so cool. Thanks for putting this together. I live in Syracuse and the canal was not even a mile from my parents, which is funny because we didn't find out till earlier this year.
Syracuse has a GREAT Museum - the Erie Canal Museum right there on Erie Blvd inside the former weighlock building. We suggest to anyone that they stop in and check it out! Also - they have an awesome TH-cam Channel too!
Pittsford is a great example of a town whose birth can be attributed to the Erie Canal. In Schoen Place the original buildings from the 1800s remain intact. Stop by it's great for a walk in the summertime, and fascinating to see the canal at work. The local brewery even sent massive tanks through the area to construct on their site downtown using the Erie Canal fairly recently! Enjoyed the video, thank you!
I grew up n Pittsford and loved having the Erie Canal run through the village along with a lock by Clover St that my elementary school would have field days with a trip through the lock.
Thank you so much. This helps to restore some pride in a country that is falling behind so badly at present.
America is not falling behind in any sense of the word. That's just a media narrative
This one's going to be really interesting. I live in North Tonawanda, right on the canal, and don't even know the full story. Looking forward to it.
I grew up in NT. It's nice to see this topic covered
@@zachstoner Nice. Did you go to NTHS?
I had great-grandparents, grandparents and great uncles, all who lived in NT, and worked for Wurlitzer and Remington Rand.
Mom and her two brothers graduated from NTHS.
@@chasbodaniels1744 Oh nice. The Wurlitzer building is still there but it isn't used for building organs anymore. It does have some really cool places in it, though. Like a Platter's Chocolate/Ice Cream Shop. Also an archery range where they will teach you how to use a bow. A few other cool shops, too.
@@MovedbyTruth Thanks for the info!
I really ought to get up there to visit “old haunts”.
(BTW, right now I’m looking at a large potted aspidistra plant in my living room which was taken from a cutting from great-grandma’s plant *alongside the canal in NT* in the 1930’s. Several family members took cuttings and have have passed down these daughter plants for decades!)
You might also do a history of the New York Central,as that company was tied into the Erie Canal too! After the establishment of the canal,the New York legislators put restrictions on the railroad,and during the winter shutdown of the canal,the railroad had to haul goods,at canal rates! That is an item,most people are not aware of,and the gentleman,most importantly who consolidated,what became the NYC,was Erastus Corning,and his work generated two mainline railroads! The other was the Erie( now the Southern Tier mainline),both railroads had to jump through hoops to get built! Anyway,that should give you three or four good videos! History is always fascinating,and very little understood,especially the ramifications,which are still visible today! Add one more canal,railroad combination,the Delaware&Hudson,as it also changed the face of New York State! Thank you for you attention,and time!! I 😇😇😇😇😇💯💯💯💯💯
THIS is why I like reading the comments! Thank you for this info!
Thank You for this very informative excellent video!!!
All through school years in the 1960's and 1970's I read about the Erie Canal; and being a nerdy girl living in Texas, it always intrigued me.
It was not until 2001 that I was finally able to see the original Locks. It was like seeing an old pen pal friend I had never met. I was actually overcome with emotion (I got emotional when viewing Niagara Falls for the first time, and when viewing my first Rembrandt too; it's what I do when nerdy things move me 😁).
Everyone should occasionally step back and fully recognize that our world has not always been the way it is now, so we can all truly appreciate the amazing people and their achievements that made our modern lives possible!
As you touched on, Governor DeWitt Clinton (of new york), aggressively pursued the connection of Lake Erie with the Hudson River WITHOUT any support from the federal government. The waterway was commonly nicknamed "Clinton's Big Ditch.” I quite like that name, and when ever I hear about it, that pops right into my head. Thanks Mr. history teacher.
We like to ride bicycles along parts of the canal. Very interesting. The lift bridges, the gates used to isolate sections of the canal and towns along the canal are amazing still today. It’s a treasure for sure! 👍🇺🇸
Erie boulevard in Schenectady, NY was once part of the Erie Canal system until it was bypassed by upgrading the Mohawk River and then filled in.
Syracuse here. We also have an Erie Blvd. Similar story.
Did not know that! Cool!
Should have mentioned the Barge Canal as well. Many people, even the upstate NY locals, confuse the Erie and the Barge. Years after the Erie was built, it became necessary for some changes to the route. The Barge Canal was the next phase. It replaced some parts of the Erie with new sections, while including many others. The original canal is the Erie, while the modified version is the Barge.
Incredible construction story - literally..
RPI! my sister went there! Wonderful school, never knew it had connections to the Erie Canal!
The Erie Canal dramatically reduced the cost of moving a ton of goods west as far as Chicago. This helped settle the entire Midwest USA. It was crucial.
It also made export of grain possible and a basis for making an income in the west.
Anyone in NW Ohio, check out Providence Park in Grand Rapids, Ohio. You can (or use to be able to) ride a canal boat through a lock while being pulled by mules.
The Muskingum River from Zanesville to Marietta has all of the original locks and dams built the mid-1800's in working order. You can take your boat/kayak/canoe through them.
Thanks for streaming this
In elementary school we used to sing a song about the Erie Canal in music class.
I’ve got a mule and her name is Sal, 15 miles on the Erie Canal! She’s a good ol worker and a good ol pal, 15 miles on the Erie Canal 😅
@@nuggets0717 I remember "just one more trip and back we'll go. Through Through hail and sleet and snow. And we'll know every part of the way, from Harmony, to Bufa- lowwwwww bridge, everybody down. Low bridge, cuz we're comin to the town" lmao. Grew up in Michigan. Wonder if there's different versions for different states.
@@HowieRaps I learned “from Albany to Buffalo” - I grew up in Albany :) such a fun memory!
I think we all did!
Great video. Very informative. As well as thought provoking. Thanks🥃
The cover photo that caught my attention is a flipped negative of where the canal crosses the Genesee river at the war memorial arena and Dinosaur BBQ.
My great grandfather was a barge captain and broke his back in Buffalo NY. It’s the only reason my grandfather met my grandmother and I exist.
Much of the early wealth of NYC came from all the raw materials shipped through the Erie Canal from the Great Lakes. How I wish that the Ohio and Erie Canal in Ohio hadn't been abandoned and filled in for large stretches. We lost a tremendous link to our past and it would be such a prize to have today had it been kept.
I've lived in Central New York for most of my life, this was a great listen.
At 20:19 it shows lock 17 in Little Falls, NY. My home town. ❤️❤️❤️
I live in Utica. The Erie Canal was critical in the development of our City and Valley. I always contest that without the Erie Canal and Mohawk Valley, the development of our country would have been dramatically slower.
Grew up in a Hamlet on the Erie Canal called Hulberton
This was great, thank you 👍👍👍
For the record, the Battle of New Orleans actually occurred after the peace treaty had been signed. Communication just hadn't reached Jackson. It had zero impact on the war itself but did launch Jackson to prominence.
I was looking through the comments to see if anyone had mention this
Low Bridge, everybody down
Low bridge cause we're comin' to a town
and you'll always know your neighbor, you'll always know your pal,
if you've ever navigated on the Erie canal
(song from grade school)
The romance of traveling the Erie Canal was the reason Niagara Falls became "The Honeymoon Capital of the World".
Growing up on the west, I had no idea about this. Thank you for this video!
The Erie was the catalyst for the United States stretching across the continent & being "from sea to shining sea".
Worthy of note, In Michigan in 1838, construction began on the Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal. It was to begin in Mount Clemens on the banks of the Clinton River and continue through to the Kalamazoo River, about 216 miles. From there westward, the canal would carry new settlers and supplies to the interior of the state and eventually connect with Lake Michigan at the port of Singapore, MI. Passengers and freight would have been able to reach Chicago across Lake Michigan.
After labor disputes and the advancement of railways, the project was abandoned. I live near what remains an historic site aka a ditch.
My mom was born and raised in Lockport. Would visit all the time growing up and still have family up there way. I’ve also been on a canal boat tour of the locks.
Great ice cream shop right there at canal.
I have been in lockport and sat on edge of canal, it was really awesome. I live in Evansville, IN which was the terminus of the Wabash and Erie canal. On I64 you cross the old canal and in downtown Evansville we still have Canal St. Unfortunately the railroad locomotive was developed shortly after the canal and its days were doomed
If I am correct you are talking about an entirely different canal. I think the Wabash and Erie is not the same as the Erie canal. Different waterway connection and different states.
Great 👍🏼 video !!!
Start out in Lockport(my home) you can stand on top of locks 34 & 35 and see the Flight of Five. Travel east on Rt 31 to Medina and you can drive under the Erie Canal. Continue east on Rt 31 to Holley NY and you can stand at the bottom of Holley Falls which is feed by the Erie Canal
Love that area! Checked out the Flight, and the Discovery Center before snaggin' some delicious ice cream. Headed east from Lockport/Buffalo on I90 is the wonderful Port Byron center operated by the Canal Society of NYS. That's Def Worth Checkin Out!
I checked out that Lockport ice cream place when I was in Lockport.
Great documentary. Europe still uses many of their Canals. Another factor that enhanced NY City as an Industrial Giant was that they developed the Rail Roads to NY City from Boston and Philadelphia. With the Rails & Canal connecting into the Midwest, NY City would seal its fate and would become the " Big Apple ". Thanks. Watch & Enjoy.
We’re RVers. One of our favorite places to travel to is the Erie Canal area just south of Rochester. We would stay at an RV park just south of Rochester that was right on the Canal and we would ride our bicycles on the tow ways. We marveled at the lift bridges and lift dams used to drain sections of the Canal for repairs that were still in working condition.
I have passed thru every lock on the Erie canal. You mentioned the initial build and the 1860's rebuild, but you did not mention the last rebuild opened 1918. Very little of the original canal still exists. Thanks for the video!
Ecellent lessons for today!!! Thanks
Building the canal was probably the best decision NYS ever made; NYC, buffalo, and other upstate cities and the whole state boomed from it
I lived in the Albany Saratoga area and I used to play in the old Erie power canal and the original Erie Canal.
There were so many tunnels underground that were used to power the mills, but also other tunnels that to this day I don't know what they were for.
There were drug out of the shale and they were big enough to drive a small car though.
They were hand dug and blasted
The one that was in Cohoes connected the river to the power canal and I can't imagine how this worked, but in very old drawings and paintings you can see the tunnels had huge volumes of water flowing out of them.
I really wish they would make it into a tourist attraction.
This has been talked about, but never got done.
The only access point that was still left was a square metal panel that opened to the tunnel and had a long deep metal ladder down to the floor of the tunnel.
In the late 2000s, after 2005, this panel was paved over.
I guess to keep anyone from getting into the tunnels, but when I was a kid there were open canals down most streets and along the railroad tracks was an exit for the water and the mayor at the time took a boat and rode up the tunnel under the city.
I always wanted to do that
I just drove where that first photo was taken, Rexford NY.
I used to live in Rexford, back in the early 1980's! Went to college at Hudson Valley Community College, Spent my weekends cruising and racing the streets of Schenectady!
Wow just wow. Had no idea. Thank you for a great and informative video. God bless brother
At the western end of the canal, at the mouth of the Niagara River, Buffalo, is a hidden architectural gem. Silo City is unique in its scale. The Frank Lloyd Wright homes, the Pierce Arrow museum, the art museums are worth a trip.
I’m pleased to see how the River is being remediated where it flows into Lake Erie.
@@chasbodaniels1744 Buffalo’s a unique place. Where else can you see a river flow north?
@@charlesgallagher1376 It is pretty rare.
@@chasbodaniels1744 the river flows out of Lake Erie to Lake Ontario after going over the falls, not into it lol
@@daver00lzd00d I was referring to the Buffalo River which flows into Erie in the refurbished downtown area. You’re correct about the Niagara River though.
Rochester represent! (Also thanks for saying Western NY and not Upstate NY)
The canal is in my backyard, grew up in Lockport and now live east an hour
Excellent video. I wish someone would restore the canals in my area of Ohio,stark, Tuscarawas, Coshocton counties. I think it would great to boat, kayak and canoe.
That would be 😎
A lot of canal history in Northern Ohio too. ❤
Really well done video. Thanks for sharing this.
Minor correction: RPI was not the first Civil Engineering program in the United States in 1824. Norwich University, at the time known as "The American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy", established a Civil Engineering program in 1820. Loved the video!
Great series, Ryan! Just a quick correction. We New Yorkers pronounce our Capital city as ALL- benny not al-Benny. At least when we're not throwing out corrupt politicians or criticizing New York's "business UNfriendly" confiscatory taxes! Carry on.
🎶"I've got a mule, her name is Sal
15 miles on the Erie Canal"🎶
Original lyrics: 15 years on the Erie Canal.
19:28 is Syracuse. Eire Blvd now lines what was once the canal. My own backyard we take for granted its history. The Erie Canal Museum is also located here in Syracuse, NY. Prett cool place
Makes me proud to live in Pennsylvania
Man I love your stuff
I live in Central Illinois but my family lives in Albany. I always get excited when I drive out to visit and see the old canal lock on display just off the Thruway. A well done video, but pronounce Albany like "All-bany". LOL
Albany native here! That also irked me LOL but I love learning about this again :) the canal is still a special hangout spot for us!
What a wonderful story. Thank you very much.
Channel is great! Keep it up!
I actually live next to the Erie Canal
I grew up in stark county and tuscarawas county, Ohio. Lots of canal towns around here where the canal still exists.
Oh cool, any points we should revisit ?
What I find fascinating is that the muddy roads didn't hinder construction of the most spectacular architecture ever constructed in early America. The canal systems mentioned in this documentary as "leaving much to be desired" where themselves a marvel. There is little to no mention of the construction of the massive network of canals across the USA. Check out the bayous of Louisiana for some old canal systems.
I’m hoping you do a video on Galveston Tx Seawall! It would be greatly appreciated!!!
The finger lakes canal system is also part of the Erie canal system , where I live, Cayuga lake connects the Erie Canal to the canal system of the finger lakes.
Those lateral canals during "Canal-Mania" drove the success of the overall system. In the Finger Lakes as well as the Champlain Canal (Which just celebrated its 200th anniversary Sept. 7th, 2023).
How about 'The Miami and Erie Canal'? It ran through where I grew up. Even though it was abandoned, parts still existed.
You produce great informative videos! I’m from nj thank you
The government “gave away” land already occupied by the natives. Edit: The majority of the area, what the United States bought was the "preemptive" right to obtain "Indian" lands by treaty or by conquest. This is of course in reference to the the brief discussion about the Louisiana Purchase. Great video, by the way
What I like about this, is someone thinking for himself, not using the gov or not to create something that shut them up as they mocked the guy. Back in those day's people found a way to get thing's done. The irish, and many immigrants faced prejudice, but made their way, and with so many different ethnicities, most people got bashed at some time or another. God bless.
Uh, they did use the government. Clinton was a local government official (Mayor NYC) who cajoled the state government into pushing the project when the Federal Government rejected it. State government paid private contractors to work on the project.
I live in Utica New York. If anyone is interested in a hiking tour from like Herkimer NY to Rome NY hit me up. Probably 100 miles, we can bike or hike!
I owe my existence I believe to the canal both my grandparents were born in New York state in the 1800s Utica area
And my grandmother was Irish
APUSH flashbacks!!!
i think it was around 5 or 6 years ago Genesee brewing in Rochester had to use the canal to get new tanks to the brewery because they where too large to transport on the road.
yes! 2017! that year saw a LOT of great canal happenings as we kicked off the bicentennial of its construction. The Corning Museum of Glass also had an awesome glass blowing barge making rounds, along with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum's Lois McClure sailing canal boat! All worth checking out.
The canal could also be used for other large items such as wind turbines.
@@kimballamram552 so true! We've been stuck waiting for the GE turbines to cross the highway before they're loaded on barges
Great video!!!
Just subscribe! Great presentation!
Not many construction workers could hold a candle to those guys !
Using Leonard daVinci's design for locks!
Great video I live in Lockport Ny
God bless the underappreciated Irishmen who toiled so long getting this project completed. Not forgetting, of course, The thousands of other folks from all backgrounds and skills who lent their expertise to this project. It is the kind of fortitude that made America the greatest country on earth. I only wish that today's generation and Washington DC lawmakers would develop the same type of American enthusiasm, instead of this Racial division, victim culture, and feeling of entitlement which is so prevalent in today's society. God Bless America !
I married an irish catholic girl from Buffalo in the 1980s, and I was a little surprised, when at Thanksgiving a couple years later, her little brother told me he was going to be an engineering major, and I assumed electrical, or even data processesing as we called IT in those days. To my surprise, he got a civil e degree. I guess growing up next to the falls, in upstate new york even 200 years later, an irishman was either a cop, a lawyer (like his dad) or a ditch digger. I wish she and I were still in touch...
Interesting comment from you, Caspar. I feel your grief.
In Medina, NY, there's a road that turns into a single lane tunnel that goes under the canal!