Quote:
Originally Posted by GH85Carrera
The canal was killed by a new fangled technology, trains. So many industries have had radical changes from a new technology. I heard that before the Erie canal a bushel of grain was 80 cents in NYC. After the canal and the barges the price was a nickle a bushel. It seems hard to believe that a train was cheaper than that.
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One correction - most of the other canals were killed off by trains. The Erie Canal remained an economical method of transport until the 1950s, when the viability of it was killed by the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Once an ocean going ship could bypass NYC and Buffalo and get anywhere into the Great Lakes without stopping to handle the load twice, all the traffic went north.
The entire canal was re-built in 1918 as a barge canal (no more mules) and that version (the 3rd version of the Erie Canal) is still open today. I spent summers in college working on a tour boat travelling the length of it from Buffalo to Albany and up the Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain. 8 days end to end. One of the best jobs I've ever had.
There's also an annual 8 day bike ride from Buffalo to Albany that wraps up this weekend run by Parks and Trails NY. A leisurely 50 miles per day, and they transport your camping gear and luggage from site to site. I did it about 15 years ago, and am hoping to jump back in it with one or two of my kids next summer. If you're looking for a scenic and easy going multi day tour, I highly recommend it.