Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

THE ERIE CANAL CENTENARY

OBSERVED AT ROME, N. Y., JULY 4, 1917

At the City of Rome, N. Y., on July 4, 1917, was celebrated the centennial of the Erie canal. That date marked the completion of the first hundred years since the first construction work was done on this great waterway from the Hudson to Lake Erie.

The exercises were held under the auspices of the New York State Waterways Association and the Rome Chamber of Commerce. The Buffalo Historical Society was conspicuously identified with the occasion through its president, Hon. Henry W. Hill, who, as president of the State Waterways Association, presided at the celebration; and also through the Hon. George Clinton, a special delegate from the Buffalo Society for this occasion, who made the principal historical address.

On the morning of the 4th, delegates to the celebration were conducted by the local Chamber of Commerce to numerous points of interest in and about' Rome. The region is rich in sites of historical interest, and the visitors, in a long procession of automobiles, were afforded opportunity to inspect the spot where formerly stood Fort Stanwix, now in part occupied by the handsome Colonial home of the Rome Club. From here the visitors were taken along the line of the old carry, westward to Fort Bull, a site now marked by a boulder monument. Nearby are still to be seen remains of an ancient dam used in early days to hold back the water of Wood creek until the loaded boats were ready to start, when the gates would be opened and the boats floated on the flood on their way to Oneida lake.

Later the visitors inspected the summit level, where, at New London, is located the first of the two locks required to pass boats between the summit level of the Barge Canal and Oneida lake.

Finally, driving over what was formerly the old Oswego Plank Road, but is now an important State highway, the party arrived at the spot where, at sunrise, July 4, 1817, the first excavation for the Erie canal was made. The exact spot has been located by Senior Assistant Engineer Noble E. Whitford, and had been marked by a stake and pile of stones in which had been implanted a small cedar pole, cut from a nearby clump, from the top of which floated an American flag. As the spot happens to be in the now nearly dry bed of the recently abandoned portion of the Erie canal, it did not lend itself especially well to grouping about it a great number of people, but as many as could gather in the rather limited range of the camera did so and a picture of the historic place was taken. It is interesting to note in the group the presence of Hon. George Clinton, whose constant and efficient advocacy of an enlarged waterway has won for him the title of "Father of the Barge Canal"; for just a century ago his grandfather, Governor DeWitt Clinton, was present in person at this same spot aiding in the actual starting of the canal for which he had so persistently labored.

The inspection tour also included a visit to Hyland's Mills, with their famous fish-propagating ponds and springs; and the great Delta dam, which has made a lake from 50 to 60 feet deep and over eight miles long, covering completely the former village of Delta, in a valley which now forms the great storage basin for the Barge canal.

In the afternoon, at the Family theatre, in Rome, a great throng convened for exercises, presided over by Hon. Henry W. Hill. Governor Charles S. Whitman, Hon. F. M. Williams, State Engineer and Surveyor; Gen. W. W.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

ERIE CANAL MAP OF 1834, SHOWING PLACE NEAR ROME. WHERE CANAL CONSTRUCTION BEGAN.

« ForrigeFortsett »