Gribblenation

  One of the more unique features of the Erie Canal can actually be found underneath the canal. Just east of the Western New York State town of Medina is a road tunnel that goes under the Erie Canal. The Culvert Road Tunnel was originally built in 1823 in preparation of the construction and opening of the canal. However, the tunnel that exists today was rebuilt and widened in 1906 to accommodate the widening of the Erie Canal to the modern State Barge Canal system that we have across New York State. Because the canal runs along a berm in this section in Orleans County, it made passage between the north and south sides of the canal a tricky endeavor. Elsewhere along the Erie Canal, bridges were constructed to allow for crossing the canal. But because of the berm alongside the canal here, it presented an engineering challenge. The drop from the towpath down to the road is about 20 feet. Because of that drop, any bridge constructed at this point would have to be significantly higher s...

 Not far from the popular Sylvan Beach resort area is the Verona Beach Lighthouse. Standing 84 1/2 feet tall along the eastern shores of Oneida Lake, the Verona Beach Lighthouse is actually one of three lighthouses that were constructed to aid navigation along Oneida Lake with the conversion of the Erie Canal to the modern day Barge Canal. Constructed in 1916 along with its sister Oneida Lake lighthouses, the Frenchman's Island and Brewerton Lighthouses, the Verona Beach Lighthouse was completed in 1917. Today, the Verona Beach Lighthouse powered by electricity, is maintained by the Verona Beach Lighthouse Association and while you cannot climb to the top of the lighthouse, you can explore the grounds of the lighthouse. Sources and Links: US Lighthouses - Verona Beach Lighthouse Lighthouse Friends - Verona Beach Lighthouse Utica Observer-Dispatch - Verona Beach Lighthouse offers great views, rich history How to Get There: Update Log: May 18, 2018 - Posted...

  Little Falls, New York is a small city in the Mohawk Valley that has been shaped by the forces of water throughout its history. Nowhere in Little Falls is that more evident than at Moss Island. Representing the Industrial Age, this is home of Lock 17 the tallest lock along the Erie Canal, but there is also evidence of the Ice Age in the form of 40 foot deep glacial potholes from when there was an ancient waterfall that was even larger than Niagara Falls at this spot, once draining Glacial Lake Iroquois when other outlets (such as the St. Lawrence River) were blocked by retreating glaciers. While Little Falls does not have the amount of industry around the river and canal than it once had, checking out what Moss Island has to offer is a great way to see what the city has to offer. Visiting Moss Island allows you to experience the engineering marvel that is the Erie Canal plus the wonders of nature by taking a hike around the island and seeing the glacial pothole...

The Palmyra-Macedon Aqueduct Park, or the Pal-Mac Aqueduct Park for short, is a county park just west of historic Palmyra, New York that features remnants from the days of yore of the heyday of the Erie Canal. The main features of the park is a spillway that is still used to moderate the nearby successor to the Erie Canal, that being the Barge Canal, as well as the Mud Creek Aqueduct and the historic Aldrich Change Bridge. The Erie Canalway Trail runs through the park, and along with the historical and recreational opportunities afforded within the boundaries of the park, there is a pavilion on site for people to have picnics. The historic Aldrich Change Bridge (officially, the Aldrich Towing Path Change Bridge) is the oldest iron bridge in New York State and one of only two bridges known to survive from the first enlargement of the Erie Canal. The bridge was first constructed in 1858. This Whipple designed bridge was built in the Waterford, New York iron works of Geo...

 Even though the Erie Canal has been modernized and has followed some slightly different alignments over the past 200 years, there are many old remnants, locks and aqueducts of the Erie Canal that are yours to discover and explore across the Empire State. The canals in New York State are definitely an important part of this state's rich history, so it's nice that vestiges of the Erie Canal can still be seen. Some of the old remnants are sitting quietly in the wild or alongside roads while others are preserved as part of various parks and historical sites. There's even a rest area on the New York Thruway in Port Byron that doubles as the Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park . Not far from Port Byron, in Montezuma, is another one of these relics from a bygone era of the Erie Canal. This area is preserved for public use as the Montezuma Heritage Park . There is quite a bit of history to explore at the Montezuma Heritage Park. The park has some walking trai...

After checking out the Thruway and Binghamton film as mentioned in the Binghamton in 1951 post, I browsed the collection of the New York State Archives on YouTube and found a couple more videos from the 1950s. Erie Canal Relocation (1952) - Video shows the relocation of the Erie Canal in Herkimer in order to make way for the New York State Thruway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rJKcmS8rPY Tappan Zee Bridge Opening (1955) - Video explains the construction of the Tappan Zee Bridge, which carries Interstate 87 and the New York State Thruway over the Hudson River between Westchester and Rockland Counties. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaReVTZkNNg