The Erie Canal

Seneca Falls sits on the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, part of the Erie canalway.

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

An All-American Waterway

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. It transformed New York City into the nation's principal seaport and opened the interior of North America to settlement. Equally important, the Erie Canal became a central element forging our national identity. Built with a combination of vision, determination, ingenuity, and hard work, the Erie Canal solidified these central elements of our American character.

Ripples of Reform

As it opened the American interior to settlement, the canal brought a flow of people and new ideas. Social reform movements like abolitionism and women's suffrage, Utopian communities, and various religious movements thrived in the canal corridor. The Erie Canal carried more westbound immigrants than any other trans-Appalachian canal. These newcomers infused the nation with different languages, customs, practices, and religions.

Seneca Falls sits in the center of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, which is part of the Erie Canal system. The canal links the two largest of the eleven Finger Lakes: Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake. Once the Seneca River, the creation of the canal along the river's course allowed for a more efficient movement of industry and goods. Businesses that thrived in Seneca Falls due to the canal included the manufacture of water pumps and woolen goods.

The town, being halfway between Rochester and Syracuse, also saw a great deal of trade between the two cities. As people and goods traveled, so did ideas. Abolitionists from the urban centers spread their ideas through the more rural areas of the Finger Lakes, and Quakers established meetinghouses throughout the area.

The Erie Canal Today

Though the advent of railroads quickly rendered the Erie Canal system superfluous, the canal still serves as an important transportation route across New York State. Though commercial goods flow through the locks less often, the canal offers countless opportunities for recreation. Boating on the canal, biking on the tow paths, and visiting locks are all popular activities throughout the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

Use the link below to explore the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, a National Park Service Affiliated Area.