Table of Contents
- 1 How many people use the Erie Canal?
- 2 How much did the Erie Canal take to build?
- 3 How many Irish died building the Erie Canal?
- 4 How deep is the Erie Canal now?
- 5 How many lives were lost in the Erie Canal?
- 6 What ended the Erie Canal?
- 7 Does the Erie Canal freeze?
- 8 How long did it take to build the Erie Canal?
- 9 Where did Andrew Hawley advocate for the Erie Canal?
- 10 What was the name of the New York State Canal?
How many people use the Erie Canal?
At one time, more than 50,000 people depended on the Erie Canal for their livelihood. From its inception, the Erie Canal helped form a whole new culture revolving around canal life. For many, canal boats became floating houses, traveling from town to town.
How much did the Erie Canal take to build?
The canal was completed in only 8 years at a cost of $7,000,000. When completed on October 26, 1825, DeWitt Clinton (by then Governor of New York) boarded a vessel, the Seneca Chief, in Buffalo and headed to New York City.
How many years did it take the workers to dig the Erie Canal?
Throughout construction, Dewitt Clinton’s political opponents ridiculed the project as “Clinton’s Folly” or “Clinton’s ditch.” It took canal laborers—some Irish immigrants, but most U.S.-born men—eight years to finish the project. They cleared the land by hand and animal power and blasted through rock with gunpowder.
How many Irish died building the Erie Canal?
While there are no official records of immigrant deaths, somewhere between 8,000 and 30,000 are believed to have perished in the building of the New Basin Canal, many of whom are buried in unmarked graves in the levee and roadway fill beside the canal.
How deep is the Erie Canal now?
Fast Facts
JUST THE FACTS | |
---|---|
Canal dimensions, 1862 Enlarged Erie | 7 ft deep x 70 ft wide; lock 110 ft long |
Canal dimensions, 1918- present Erie Barge Canal | 12-23 ft deep x 120-200 ft wide; locks 310 ft long |
Cost to build | $7,143,789 |
Return on Investment | 10 years |
How old is the Erie Canal?
Built between 1817 and 1825, the original Erie Canal traversed 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo. It was the longest artificial waterway and the greatest public works project in North America. The canal put New York on the map as the Empire State—the leader in population, industry, and economic strength.
How many lives were lost in the Erie Canal?
1,000 deaths
The other three canal projects that made Safer America’s list included the Erie Canal, which recorded 1,000 deaths from its 50,000 workers.
What ended the Erie Canal?
More than half of the original Erie Canal was destroyed or abandoned during construction of the New York State Barge Canal in the early 20th century. The sections of the original route remaining in use were widened significantly, mostly west of Syracuse, with bridges rebuilt and locks replaced.
Is it legal to swim in the Erie Canal?
Their response: the canal in our area is labeled as being clean, having only what the DEC calls “minor impacts.” That’s mainly due to nutrients or runoff from farms, nothing that could cause any health issues. A department spokesperson says boating, paddleboarding, and fishing is okay but swimming is not encouraged.
Does the Erie Canal freeze?
The Canal was partially drained for five months a year because winter freezes made it unusable. Because it was so shallow, the Canal could freeze very quickly, trapping boats in ice. But the frozen canal also created many opportunities for recreation, such as ice skating at the widewaters or the aqueduct.
How long did it take to build the Erie Canal?
Transcript of How long did it take to build the Erie Canal. It took about 17 year to build the Erie Canal. They could have a lot of troubles. They enlarged it in 1836 to 1862. Now its 70ft wide. That rises up to 568 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. They had locks to lower or high the Canal.
Where does the Erie Canal connect to the Great Lakes?
The Erie Canal is a 363-mile waterway that connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River in upstate New York.
Where did Andrew Hawley advocate for the Erie Canal?
In them, Hawley advocated for a canal system that would span nearly 400 miles from Buffalo, New York, on the eastern shore of Lake Erie, to Albany, New York, on the Hudson River. Hawley’s eloquent essays caught the attention of New York politicians, including New York City mayor DeWitt Clinton.
What was the name of the New York State Canal?
After the opening of the Erie Canal, additional canals were constructed to connect the Erie Canal to Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, and the Finger Lakes. The Erie Canal and its neighbors became known as the New York State Canal System.