Program highlights canal’s rich history
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 and reliable. A lot of guide books started being produced. The Champlain Canal is very much a part of this Northern Tour.”
The man-made waterway was built by the state, the largest public works project ever undertaken up to that time, funded by the sale of canal bonds to investors. As the canal was opened, in sections, it started generating revenue through tolls.
This encouraged more investment as people saw the project take shape.
“This was really groundbreaking stuff,” Utter said. “The state took great pride in receiving the funds and showing what government could do on its own.”
By the late 19th century, the original canal was under intense competition from privately-owned railroads, which could move goods more quickly than boats. In 1905, work began on a new, more modern canal.
From Waterford to Fort Edward, it primarily utilizes the Hudson River, made possible with a series of large locks. A wider, deeper canal was constructed from Fort Edward to Whitehall.
Remnants of the old canal may still be seen many places.
“I was born in 1947,” David Mathis said. “I can still remember small boats using the old canal to get from the river to Schuylerville. It was still functional. My grandfather told me people did laundry in the canal, people fished in the canal. It was a different way of life back then.”
Plattsburgh resident Vivian Papson made a special day trip to hear Friday’s presentation in Waterford. The Visitor Center is also near the Erie Canal’s eastern terminus.
“I love to explore New York state,” she said. “It’s an amazing place. I grew up in Ohio. This is the first time I’ve seen the Erie Canal. This was a great way to enter spring 2018. It’s great because we don’t have spring yet up north.
Canal history programs are presented by the Crown Point-based Lakes to Locks Passage. Three more events are planned. They are:
• Tuesday, May 8 (Noon-3 p.m.). “Immigration, Industrialization and Innovation,” by Feeder Canal Alliance Executive Director Jeanne Williams and Chapman Historical Museum Educator Kim Harvish; at The Silos, Maple Street in Hudson Falls.
• Thursday, May 17 (noon-3 p.m.). “Building the Barge Canal: Treasures in the NYS Archives,” by Craig Williams, retired New York State Museum senior historian; at the Schuyler Room of Saratoga Town Hall, 12 Spring St., Schuylerville.
• Saturday, May 19 (1-4 p.m.). “People of the Feeder Canal and Champlain Canal Stories,” by Erica Wolfe Burke, archivist and special collections librarian and the library’s Folklife Center. People are encourage to share stories and bring artifacts relating to canal history.
For information call (518) 597-9660 or go to: lakestolocks.org.