Canal’s rich history eyed
More programs set for this month
WATERFORD, N.Y. » As a youngster, Schuylerville resident David Mathis didn’t get much sympathy when it came time to mow the lawn on hot summer afternoons.
His grandfather, Leon, would regale him with stories about the intense heat laborers endured during construction of the modern Champlain Canal, which was completed 100 years ago in 1918.
As a teenager, Leon Mathis delivered water in buckets to men who built Lock 5, just north of Schuylerville.
“When I complained about the heat, he would say, ‘ You don’t know what hot is!’” David Mathis said, smiling. “He told me about being down in the lock where steam engines were working. It was 100 degrees, with high humidity.”
David Mathis and other history lovers turned out Friday for the first in a series of four programs about the Champlain Canal, and its impact on the surrounding region. “Community Building: The Growth of Canal Communities,” was presented by Brad Utter, New York State Museum senior historian and curator, at the Waterford Harbor Visitor Center.
The original Champlain Canal, which opened in 1823 — two years before the Erie Canal — began just a few hundred yards away and went north approximately 60 miles, all the way to Whitehall, linking Lake Champlain with the Hudson and Mohawk rivers.
Before its completion, most North Country trade went up Lake Champlain to Canada, while goods produced from Fort Edward south would head down the Hudson River, quite often to New York City. The canal connected these regions, opening the doors to all kinds of economic opportunity.
The War of 1812 was one of the driving forces behind the Champlain Canal’s construction. During the war, which lasted until 1814, many Lake Champlain merchants were hurt by a British embargo on goods going to and from Canada.
“We didn’t like the British and we wanted to trade amongst ourselves,” Utter said. “Also, a canal would make it easier to bring troops to Lake Champlain. The war really helped bring public opinion around.”
Transportation was much easier and quicker on water. Area crop farmers switched to dairy and sold milk to city dwellers in places such as Albany and Troy. Adirondack timber and iron ore gave birth to paper mills and heavy manufacturing.
“Tourism gets a boost from the canal as well,” Utter said. “The Northern Tour was originally just for the very wealthy. The canal opened up destinations to more people. It was cheaper, faster, predictable