Construction of the Erie Canal begain in 1817. It is believed the canal is the most important works of civil engineering in North America. Originally, the canal provided a water way through the wilderness to points west. The canal connected Lake Erie to the Hudson river, thus providing the Great Lakes with a water route to the Atlantic Ocean. It helped turn New York City into a huge port because New York City connects the Hudson River to the Atlantic Ocean. Fright moved on the canal until about 1951 when cheaper alternatives were put to use. In 1990 New York State turned the 524 mile corridor into a recreational area.I lived on the canal when I owned a house in Albion. I have walked it, driven over it on bridges, explored it, taken dinner cruises on it, and today I work in the Aquaduct Building where the Erie Canal crossed the Genesee River. Most people in this region have no appreciation for the canal and take it as granted - to them it is just a river with narrow bridges. It is hard to believe the canal is nearly 200 years old!
