Opened in
1825 from the [Hudson River]
? to
Lake Erie, the
Erie Canal was the first transportation route faster than carts pulled by draft animals between the eastern seaboard of the USA and the western interior. The initial canal was 363 miles long, 40 feet wide, 4 feet deep. There were 77 locks, each 90 feet by 15 feet. Maximum canal-boat displacement was 75 tons.
Construction began July 4, 1817, at Rome, NY, on the [Mohawk River]?.
Speed of transit
New York State Barge Canal
Recreational uses today