The Grand Tale of the Erie Canal: New York's Engineering Icon Celebrates 200 Years

On October 26, 1825, the fate of New York City – and the entire United States – changed with the opening of the Erie Canal, a manmade waterway that connected the Hudson River to Lake Erie.

It was the most significant engineering project of its time, linking the ocean to the nation’s interior — a 363-mile route from Albany to Lake Erie.

Without even knowing where the Erie Canal is on a map of New York state, you could probably guess its course because of a row of cities which developed and prospered, almost in a westward line – including Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo.

In some cases, these were modest-sized places like Schenectady or Rome that benefited financially from canal construction; in others, such as Syracuse (which was founded in the year 1820), the canal was chiefly responsible for its existence.

However, it was also one of the most critical events in New York City’s history, even though the entrance to the canal is approximately 150 miles north of New York Harbor.

Original lithograph showing the Erie Canal at Lockport, New York c. 1855. Published for Herrman J. Meyer, 164 William Street, New York City.

It essentially became the canal’s gateway for freight traveling to any place inside the country or out to the world. As a result, New Yorkers quickly took advantage of the opportunities the canal offered.

Today, we’re celebrating the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal by going straight to the source – in a conversation with Derrick Pratt, the director of Education and Public Programs at the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, New York.

LISTEN NOW: THE ERIE CANAL

Syracuse, New York. A photochrom postcard published by the Detroit Photographic Company. First published in the United States before 1923 – public domain

The Canal essentially gave birth to Syracuse, aka the Salt City

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The Bowery Boys Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Founded By NYC, celebrating New York City’s 400th anniversary in 2025 and the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.

Read about all the exciting events and world-class institutions commemorating the five boroughs’ legacy of groundbreaking achievements, and find ways to celebrate the city that’s always making history at Founded by NYC.

DeWitt Clinton painted by Rembrandt Peale

Visit the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, New York, to celebrate the history of the Erie Canal year-round, located in a 1850 Weighlock Building. The Museum’s weigh chamber contains the Frank Buchanan Thomson, which is a full-size replica canal boat.