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Funding for Reflections on the Erie Canal is provided by the 
New York State Canal Corporation.

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Explore the past, present and future of the Erie Canal on its bicentennial anniversary.

In 1825, the state of New York inaugurated a monumental economic engine - the Erie Canal. Born from an audacious ambition to secure financial power and seal New York’s status as the Empire State, the canal was a triumph of engineering and determination. Two-hundred years later, the human-made thread crossing the state of New York from West to East has a much broader legacy that deserves definition and exploration.


While many New Yorkers are familiar with the origin story of the Erie canal, there remain untold stories from the time of the canal’s birth. From the people who built the canal, to the indigenous communities disrupted by it - the canal revolutionized a nation still yearning to harness its potential and establish its identity. The canal unleashed a powerful movement - of people, ideas, materials, wealth and innovation.

 

Today, the singular historic purpose of the canal has been replaced by a broader significance. Together, the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca canals span 524 miles and serve communities in ways unimaginable to their creators. New York’s canals are a source of community, recreation, a habitat for wildlife and a resource to mitigate the impacts of a changing climate. The infrastructure of the canals also exists as a historic monument in need of maintenance and reinvestment.


In Reflections on the Erie Canal, we look back on the two-hundred-year journey of the Erie Canal and contemplate its future.

This is How New York Maintains The Erie Canal

The New York State Canal System is open to the public May-October each year. But what happens when the canal is closed? In the winter, NYS employees work tirelessly to maintain the 100-year old canal infrastructure to get it ready for the next navigation season. In this video, learn how canal workers prepare a lock valve in the machine shop for installation at a “pump out” at Lock E17 in Little Falls, NY. This is just one of many tasks completed to keep the canals safe and resilient for generations to come.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Waterford Maintenance Headquarters
1:33 Pump out at Little Falls Lock 17
3:00 Historic Erie Canal

Fun fact: Power houses are the distinctive white buildings found at most locks. When the NYS Barge Canal opened in the early 20th century, electricity was generated at the site to power the locks’ gates and valves. 

Want more info on this topic? Check out the resources below:

New York State Canal Corporation
https://www.canals.ny.gov/Operations-and-Public-Projects

Learn more about Reflections on the Erie Canal at https://wmht.org/ErieCanal

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Reflections on the Erie Canal Shorts Series
1 / 3 Videos
This is How New York Maintains The Erie Canal
WMHT
This is How New York Maintains The Erie Canal
The Canal That Sparked America’s Engineering Revolution
WMHT
The Canal That Sparked America’s Engineering Revolution
Reflections on the Erie Canal Series (OFFICIAL TRAILER)
WMHT
Reflections on the Erie Canal Series (OFFICIAL TRAILER)

Additional Resources

Welcome to the NYS Canal System

The nation's largest state-run inland waterway system—operating since 1825 and including the Erie, Champlain, Oswego & Cayuga-Seneca canals—plus more than 150 miles of recreational trails.

The Erie Canal Museum

The Erie Canal Museum engages the public in the story of the Erie Canal’s transformative impacts on peoples and places in the past, present, and future.

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