Construction of the Erie Canal began in Rome, in Oneida County, NY, in 1817. Workers started first on the easiest, most level sections. In subsequent years, they tackled major engineering challenges at Cohoes, Little Falls, Rochester, and Lockport, where construction needed to overcome the most difficult elevation changes. Sections of the canal opened as they were completed, until the entire canal from Buffalo to Albany opened in 1825.
Since its grand opening in 1825, the Erie Canal has been widely recognized as an engineering marvel that put New York on the map as the Empire State. It transformed New York City into the nation’s principal seaport and served as a major “Gateway to the West” for waves of immigrants coming to America. Groundbreaking inventions and social movements took place along the canals where a spirit of entrepreneurship and progressive thinking took hold.
A new Erie Canalway Bicentennial Marketing Toolkit has been created to help prepare for the bicentennial of the Erie Canal in 2025. Municipalities, nonprofits, tourism agencies, and businesses along the canals are invited to sign up to receive free access to official graphics, banners, social media, and giveaways.
The toolkit includes a new graphic mark that incorporates blue and gold canal colors and lock numbers with an invitation for people to visit the canal’s many recreational, historic, and cultural treasures. New elements will be added to the toolkit in the coming months to keep content fresh.
The new toolkit was created by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. The Toolkit is supported by a Market New York grant awarded to the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund from Empire State Development and I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
More information about the bicentennial and a sign-up form for the Toolkit is available here.
Erie Canal and Champlain Canal Timeline
| April 15, 1817 | NYS Legislature passes the act to construct the Erie and Champlain Canals |
| July 4, 1817 | Ceremonial first digging for the Erie Canal takes place at Rome; real work begins six days later on July 10 |
| October 22, 1819 | Erie Canal opens between Rome and Utica |
| July 4, 1820 | Syracuse celebrates completion of the Erie Canal from Utica to the Seneca River |
| November 18, 1821 | The locks at Little Falls are complete, opening navigation from Montezuma to Schenectady |
| July 1822 | Erie Canal navigable from east bank of the Genesee River in Rochester to Schenectady |
| Sept 10, 1823 | Champlain Canal opens end to end |
| October 1, 1823 | Genesee Aqueduct complete; Erie Canal is in operation from Brockport to Albany |
| September 1824 | Erie Canal reaches the foot of the Niagara Escarpment at Lockport |
| October 26, 1825 | Erie Canal complete; Gov. DeWitt Clinton departs Buffalo leading a flotilla of boats led by Seneca Chief across the canal to New York City |
| November 4, 1825 | Grand celebrations take place in New York City as Clinton performs the “Wedding of the Waters,” pouring water from Lake Erie into the Atlantic Ocean |
| November 23, 1825 | The Atlantic Ocean meets the Great Lakes. The canal boat Seneca Chief returns to Buffalo to complete the “Wedding of the Waters.” |
