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CHRONOLOGY
OF TH 7/04/1817-----------Construction of Erie Canal starts at Rome. 1825-----------------October 25th Erie Canal opens /Canal Commissioners to survey from
Rome to Ogdensburg via the Black River.
1826-----------------James Geddes
survey report on three different routes
from
the Erie Canal to Ogdensburg.
1828-----------------Black River Canal
Co. Incorporated to build canal
from
Rome to High Falls (Lyons Falls.)
Jefferson
County Canal Co. Incorporated to build
Canal
from Long Falls (Carthage) to Sackets Harbor.
1832-----------------Black River
Company Incorporated with capital stock
of
$900,000 to build a canal or railroad.
4/19/1836----------New York State
authorizes construction of the Black
River
Canal from Rome to High Falls. Portous R. Root
Appointed
Chief Engineer.
1837-----------------Surveys
completed, first 14 miles put under contract.
1838----------------Contracts let from
Lansing Kill to High Falls, also for
feeder. Some river work begun.
1839----------------Canal Commissioners
to survey for canal extension from
Long Falls (Carthage) to Lake Ontario
or St Lawrence River.
1840----------------Lansing Kill
Aqueduct completed.
1842----------------State enacts
“Stop Law” which ends all canal construction
throughout New York. Water available to
feed Erie Canal.
1846----------------State Constitution
Article VII, Section 6---Canals never to be
sold, leased or disposed of without
legislative approval.
U.S. War with Mexico begins.
1847----------------“Stop Law”
rescinded, work resumes.
1848----------------Black River Feeder
from Forestport to Boonville completed
Forestport dam finished, contracts let
from Boonville to
Port Leyden, first boat travels to
Forestport from Boonville
U.S.War with Mexico ends.
1849----------------Canal filled with
water from Boonville to Rome. 5/10/1850---------First boats travel from Rome to Boonville Contracts let from Port
Leyden
to High Falls (Lyons Falls.)
11/1/1850----------Water let in from
Boonville to Port Leyden.
1851----------------Canal open from
Rome to Port Leyden
Contracts let to build sluice-ways around locks, also to build
Feeder from the Mohawk River at Delta
Surveys made for four reservoirs and 42
˝ miles of the Black
River Improvement from Lyons Falls to
Carthage.
1853----------------Bridge to be built
over Black River at Carthage.
1854----------------Dams built at
Carthage and Lyons Falls
Locks 108-109 finished at Lyons Falls.
1855----------------Nearly three miles
of canal and thirteen locks completed from
Port Leyden to Lyons Falls---canal
finished except for river
Improvements.
1856----------------North Branch
reservoir completed (North Lake) 423 acres.
1859----------------Delta feeder guard
lock completed
Contracts let for lock and dam at Otter
Creek between Glenfield
And Beaches Landing
Contracts let for River Improvement
from Lyons Falls to
Carthage, 60 foot channel, 5 feet deep.
1860----------------Delta Feeder
completed, Woodhull and South Branch reservoirs
completed.
1861----------------American Civil War
begins
Lock and dam at Otter Creek finished,
river navigation opens
22 ˝ miles of slack-water navigation
Carthage to Beach’s Bridge;
10 miles dredged to Otter Creek; 10
miles slack-water to Lyons
Falls.
1864----------------Money appropriated
for lock and dam on the Black River between
Carthage and Lyons Falls
Bridge to be built at North Street in
Port Leyden, bridge to be
Rebuilt at Lyons Falls (Three-way
bridge finished in 1865.)
1865----------------American Civil War
ends
Site selected for lock and dam on Black
River at Bush’s Landing
Between Otter Creek lock and dam and
Beach’s Landing.
1869----------------Lock finished at
Bush’s Landing, bridge constructed at Main
Street in Port Leyden. Iron bridge to
be built at Floyd street
In Rome.
4/21---Dam fails at North Lake
reservoir causing a wall of water
to cascade downriver all the way to
Lake Ontario. Every bridge
over the Black river is destroyed. State sets up a board of
appraisers to assess and pay damages
caused by the disaster.
1870----------------North Lake
reservoir repaired for $97,033.81
1878----------------Erie “lateral”
canals authorized for abandonment---Chenango Canal, Chemung Canal, Crooked Lakes Canal and the Genesee
Valley
Canal all closed. Black River Canal continues because of its
Importance as an Erie Canal Feeder.
1881-----------------Canachagala, Bisby,
White and Twin Lake reservoirs completed
Dam at Old Forge completed creating the
Fulton Chain of 6 lakes
Outflow down the Moose River.
1883----------------Appropriation for
Forestport reservoir, Beaver River reservoir site
review at Stillwater.
1888----------------Stillwater dam on
the Beaver River complete.
1893----------------Forestport dam
completed creating Lake Kayuta.
1894----------------Stillwater dam
reconstructed and enlarged.
1896----------------New bridge finished
between Carthage and west Carthage
draw-bridge built over canal at Garden
Street in Rome
Iron bridge reconstructed over canal at
Thomas street in Rome
Locks 39, 40 and 41 rebuilt.
7/23/1897----------Forestport break in
bank of feeder canal, 400 feet long by 50 feet
deep. Cost of repairs $62,781.78;
navigation halted for 30 days.
5/23/1898---------Forestport break #2
navigation suspended for 21 days, cost of
repairs $50,764.47
Spanish-American War with Spain.
9/18/1899----------Forestport break #3
navigation stopped 17 days, damages at
$17,089.72
1900----------------Locks 47 & 64
rebuilt.
Canal between Boonville and Lyons Falls
recommended for
Abandonment.
1903----------------July 28th
Break in berme bank near Lock 13; navigation
interrupted 11 days.
new dams on Beaver River and at
Forestport completed
New York voters approve plan to improve
and expand the
Erie Canal into the Barge Canal system.
1908----------------Work begins on the
Delta Dam and reservoir project
1910----------------Last big tonnage
year for the canal, Sugar River quarry
stone transported for Delta project.
1911-----------------Village of Delta
buildings taken apart and removed
Legislature directs the State Engineer to make a survey
To extend the Black River Canal from
Carthage to Sackets
Harbor.
1912-----------------16 million dollar
construction bill for the Sackets extension
is passed by both houses but vetoed by
Governor John Dix.
1918----------------Barge Canal project
finished, World War One ends.
1922----------------Last year of
operation, three boatloads of sand recorded
for the year.
1923----------------Report by the
Superintendent of Public Works states,
“There was no transportation on the
Black River Canal
during the navigation season just
ended…”
7/24/1924---------Last boat on record,
the Boonville State Scow with
Superintendent Phil McGuire, passes
down to Rome. |