b'His ambitious plans werewas made by the packet boat Seneca Chief, which traveled from Buffalo to Albany in 10 days, with barrels of Lake mocked with critics Erie water poured into New York Harbor to symbolize the referring to the proposedwedding of the waters.The Erie Canal was seen as an immediate success bringing PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: THE BUFFALO HARBOR MUSEUM (TOP TWO PHOTOS), GRAND LADY CRUISES, LOCKPORT LOCKS, CANAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK STATE (THREE ILLUSTRATIONS)canal as Clintons Ditch. transformativeeconomic,cultural,andpoliticalchange. However, the rise of the railroad in the 1850s began to over-shadow the canal. As the economic importance of the canal faded in the mid-20th century, it grew in popularity for rec-As early as the mid 18th century, the idea was proposed forreational, historical, and limited commercial use. As use of a canal connecting the Hudson River with the Great Lakes.the canal shifted, passenger vessel operations and tour boats In the early 1800s, DeWitt Clinton a New York politician,began to spring up on the canal and at its terminus. In 2000, later governor, became one of the greatest champions ofthe Erie Canal was designated a National Heritage Corridor, the canal, working tirelessly to promote the project. Hisrecognizing the canals historical and cultural significance.ambitious plans were mocked with critics referring to the proposed canal as Clintons Ditch. Despite skepticism,This year, special events and celebrations are planned along Clinton and other proponents pushed forward, securingthe full length of the canal from Buffalo to New York City funding from the New York State Legislature and con- in recognition of the bicentennial. The Albany Symphony struction began in 1817. Orchestraisperformingcanalsideconcertsinmultiple locations.TheFlotsamRiverCircus,afloatingcircus, Building the Erie Canal was a colossal undertaking andis offering 35 performances throughout the season. The much of the labor was done by hand using shovels, picks,eight-day Cycle the Erie Canal takes riders on a 400-mile and wheelbarrows. The workforce included immigrants,journeyfromBuffalotoAlbany.Withfestivals,lecture particularly Irish laborers, who faced backbreaking workseries, opportunities to kayak through a lock, and more, and harsh conditions.there are myriad ways to celebrate this milestone.The canal also had a profound effect on the indigenousSeveralPVAvesselmemberscruisethecanal,andwe people in the region, displacing the people of the Nationsreached out to discover how theyre celebrating the Erie oftheHaudenosauneeConfederacyandtheMohicanCanal bicentennial. Having operated on the canal for so Nation. The effects of the construction are still felt by themany years, their knowledge of the canal and surrounding Haudenosaunee people today.region runs deep, and they shared favorite facts that go be-yond the information one typically learns about the canal. Designed to be 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep, the canal was later expanded in some sections. Engineers devised inge- In honor of the canals bicentennial, the team at Erie Canal nious solutions to traverse the rugged landscape, includingCruises in Herkimer, N.Y., has enhanced their on-site exhib-a system of 83 locks to manage the elevation change of overits and cruise narration. They have a one-half scale model of 500 feet between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. a Stump Puller, a device that was invented during the con-struction of the Erie Canal to speed up the process of pulling Despite enormous technical challenges, the Erie Canal wasout stumps to dig the original ditch. They also have three completed in just eight years, officially opening on OctobermuralsdepictingthethreeErieCanals:theoriginal,the 26, 1825. The first trip along the entire length of the canalenlarged, and the barge canal. In addition, along with five Clockwise from top left: The Buffalo Harbor Museum shared the top two photos taken from a bridge over the Commercial Slip looking toward the Buffalo River. The older photo is from the 1880s and the more recent photo is from a few years ago.; Jenna Deegan with Grand Lady Cruises noted that the importance of the canal to the history of Buffalo cannot be understated.; Lockport Locks has been cruising the Erie Canal since 1987; The entrance to the harbor at Lockport depicted in 1825.; The Oswego Canal circa 1860.; Canal boats in New York Citys harbor in 1884.31 JUNE 2025'