The Erie Canal (currently part of the
New York State Canal System) is a
canal in
New York State,
United States, that runs from the
Hudson River to
Lake Erie, connecting the
Great Lakes with the
Atlantic Ocean. Although the canal was first proposed in 1699, it was not until 1798 that the Niagara Canal Company was incorporated and commenced preparations for building. The first section of canal was completed in 1819, and the entire canal was opened on
October 26,
1825. It was 363 miles (584 km) long, 40 feet (12 m) wide, and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep. There were 83
locks along the canal, each 90 feet by 15 feet (27 m by 4.5 m). Maximum
canal-boat displacement was 75 tons (68 tonnes). The Erie Canal was the first transportation route faster than carts pulled by draft animals between the Eastern Seaboard of the
United States and the western interior, and cut transport costs into what was then
wilderness by about 95%. The Canal resulted in a massive population surge in western
New York, and opened regions further west to increased settlement.
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