Source: View of Erie Canal by John William Hill, 1829. Watercolor on paper.
The Erie Canal, which opened between 1821 and 1825, is one of the best examples of canal construction aimed at extending inland transport systems, which was of foremost importance in the development of the United States. Upon completion, the 9 million-dollar (1825-dollar) project was about 580 km long, 40 feet wide, and at least 4 feet deep. By linking New York, Albany, and Buffalo, the Erie Canal initiated a new era of growth in inland freight transportation for East Coast ports. It reduced the cost of moving a ton of flour from Buffalo to New York from $120 to $6. It also reduced the transit time from three weeks to six days. At that time, New York was only the fifth largest American seaport, behind Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New Orleans. By 1850, New York had become the most active port in the United States, and its primate city handled maritime traffic greater than that of Boston, Baltimore, and New Orleans combined. In their early stages, barges were towed upstream by horses walking along the towpath, as seen in the painting above. Barges going downstream used the current and a rudder for steerage. Later, diesel engine propelled barges were used.
In 1918, the Erie Canal system was renamed the New York State Barge Canal. With the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1959, and due to a major shift in freight shipments to railways and roads, traffic on the canal declined substantially in the second half of the 20th century. Then, commercial traffic almost ceased, and the canal is used today mostly for leisure purposes. The system was renamed in 1992 as the New York State Canal System to reflect its new recreational function. The canal still serves a niche freight function and is occasionally used to move project and specialized cargo too large to fit on road or rail.