Enlarged Erie Lock 36, Little Falls
April 24, 2013
This view of Little Falls, taken in the late 1800s shows the bones of what's there today. You can still see the southern chamber of Lock 36, built in 1850. The railroad tracks have become the Canalway Trail. Moss Island sits to middle left of the image and the City of Little Falls just beyond. The northern lock chamber was demolished to make way for Lock 17 of the Erie Barge Canal and Rt. 169. Worth a visit!
image courtesy nys archives
Overhaul
April 17, 2013
Lock 2 in Waterford undergoes pump-out, inspection, and overhaul in the late 1950s or early 60s...but the same image could be taken in any given year, as one or two locks get a maintenance overhaul annually.
image courtesy canal society of nys, gayer collection
Erie Canal, Schenectady
April 10, 2013
Though water and boats are long gone, a little sleuthing is all it takes to find the former canal route-often buried under pavement and called Erie Boulevard. Also look for the name "Clinton" on streets signs and buildings-- a nod to Governor DeWitt Clinton, "Father of the Erie Canal" (1769-1828).
image courtesy mi sci
Traffic Jam
April 3, 2013
Check out Waterford at the turn of the century! Looking east toward the Hudson River, the site of today's promenade is crowded with canal boats waiting to pass through the locks.
courtesy waterford historical museum and cultural center
High and Dry
March 27, 2013
Tug Roosevelt came to the canal in 1927 and she's still going strong! We don't usually get to see this full view of her, taken in dry dock where she spends the winter...but look for her on the water come the 2013 navigation season.
photo by jason ladue
Over the River
March 20, 2013
Completed in 1842, the seven arch span of the Rochester Aqueduct carried canal boats over the Genesee River. It was abandoned in 1918 when the Erie Barge Canal was built and canal traffic no longer went through the city. The smaller arches above and roadway were added in the 1920s when the aqueduct was transformed to carry a subway and auto traffic over the river.
photo by dave valvo
Here's to Canallers!
March 13, 2013
In anticipation of St. Patrick's Day, we say: Here's to Paddy and all the immigrants and New Yorkers who built the canal, plied its waters, and opened the nation. Their spirit lives on! (Image c. 1920)
image courtesy rochester museum and science center
Blaze a Path
March 6, 2013
Ski now...with luck, you might be riding your bike here in another few weeks. (Erie Canalway Trail near Newark)
photo by mark peake
It's how you look at it!
February 27, 2013
Massive 55-ton steel lock gates in Waterford bend like rubber through the fish-eye lens of photographer Tina Baxter. There are 34 locks on the Erie Canal. Learn more
photo by tina baxter
Opening
February 20, 2013
Just 68 days 'til the canal opens for 2013!
photo of lockport by glenn charles
Winter Fun
February 13, 2013
There's nothing quite like a good slope and fresh snow to make winter fun. Photographer Keith Boas captured this pair in the midst of a great run at Perinton Center Park near Fairport during last weekend's Winterfest.
photo by keith boas
Stark Contrast
February 6, 2013
What a difference a season makes along the Erie Canal near Albion in western New York!
winter photo by warren marcus; summer by jean mackay
Old Giant
January 30, 2013
This red oak has been standing a long time on Whiskey Island, overlooking the Oswego Canal. The island gets its name from a former store on the island that sold goods and liquor to passing canal boats. Discover it for yourself at the Great Bear Springs Recreational Area near Fulton.
photo by dick drosse
Clinton Square Sunrise
January 23, 2013
The Erie Canal once passed right through Clinton Square in the center of downtown Syracuse. Today there's a fine plaza with a wide water feature to mark the spot. (You can skate here in winter!)
photo by andrew lauren
Remembering Summer
January 16, 2013
Sometimes winter inspires thoughts of summer. (Lock 25, Mays Point)
photo by duncan hay
