Thanks. I've been through Whitford several times, haven't seen anything specific on boat sizes. Do you have a specific reference? I found this recently: Hulbert, Archer Butler, Historic Highways of America: The Great American Canals, The Erie Canal, 1904. Engineer N. S. Roberts in a report dated January 17, 1835, said: “The present canal admits boats 13 1/2 feet wide, 3 feet draught, 80 feet long, displaces 80 tons water, weight of boat 30 to 35 tons, cargo 45 tons. Size of canal, 28 [26?] feet bottom, 40 feet surface, 4 feet depth cross section = 136 [132?] square feet. I believe that this, regarding the 7 1/2 foot x 61 foot Chief Engineer of Rome, is incorrect: Koeppel, Gerard. Bond of Union: Building the Erie Canal and the American Empire, 2009, p. 258. “These were the standard dimensions for the first generation of canal boats that prevailed throughout the 1820s; they could carry a thousand bushels of wheat, thirty tons of freight, or a hundred passengers.” -------------------------------------------------- From: "Bill Carr" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, December 23, 2016 7:14 PM To: <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: [NYHIST-L] Original Erie Canal Lock Size > See Whitford's history of the canal system. > > https://books.google.com/books/about/History_of_the_Canal_System_of_the_State.html?id=fYrVAAAAMAAJ > > > On 11/9/2016 11:14 AM, Susan Hughes wrote: >> Have you contacted the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse? >> www.eriecanalmuseum.org >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: A LISTSERV list for discussions pertaining to New York State >> history. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Andrle >> Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2016 6:01 PM >> To: [log in to unmask] >> Subject: [NYHIST-L] Original Erie Canal Lock Size >> >> I've found a large number of references online which state that the >> original size of the Erie Canal locks was 90 feet by 15 feet, built to >> accommodate boats of 61 feet by 7 feet. I can't find a primary source to >> confirm this. Is it true that boats on the original (pre-enlargement) >> canal were limited to 61 by 7 feet, and if so, why, if the locks were 90 >> by 15 feet? Thanks. >> >> >> ----- >> No virus found in this message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 2016.0.7859 / Virus Database: 4664/13416 - Release Date: >> 11/15/16 >> >> > > -- > Bill Carr, Rexford, Town of Clifton Park, Saratoga County, NY > > "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security > will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin > > "Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places > will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong > its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is > aggregated in few hands and the republic is destroyed." - Abraham Lincoln > as quoted by Molly Ivins > > Lossing's Field Books of the Revolution and War of 1812; > http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~wcarr1/ > > List Administrator for RootsWeb's DUSTIN mailing list. > > Coordinator for Haddam, Middlesex County, Connecticut page; > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wcarr1/