history
Rochester’s
2022 marks the 200th anniversary
Erie Canal Heritage
by Ray Levato
of the opening of the Erie Canal in Rochester – with two important milestones reached in 1822!
T
he first milestone was on July 2, 1822, when boats first began using the newly opened canal section from the Genesee River to Pittsford. From there, because of the construction of the Great Embankment across the Irondequoit Creek valley, travelers had to ramble overland in a carriage for several miles to Fairport. The embankment was completed in October, and fully 180 miles of the Erie Canal were open from Rochester east to Little Falls.
Erie Canal, Rochester. American Laundry House Company is building at left; Osburn House is hotel at right. Circa 1900. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.
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~ FingerL akesM agazine.com
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The Erie Canal was certainly the engineering marvel of its day. Enlarged three times, it was made obsolete by railroads, and eventually the interstate highway system. Today, the waterway remains an important recreational and tourist destination – and a window into our past.
8/10/22 12:05 PM
