Program

Historic Transportation Canals

Subject

Transportation

Location

309 W Main St, Montour Falls, NY 14865, USA

Lat/Long

42.3458413, -76.8481849

Grant Recipient

Schuyler County Historical Society

The Erie Canal is a man-made waterway that fundamentally changed the history of the state of New York. It effectively connected the interior of the United States around the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. An amazing feat of modern engineering, the Erie Canal traversed the complex geography of this state, utilizing natural waterways and lakes as a means of reaching communities around New York. Over the years, several different canals branched off from the main Erie Canal. One example of this is the Chemung Canal. Located at the southern tip of Seneca Lake, the Chemung Canal cut directly through the community of Havana, now known as Montour Falls. Boats on the Chemung Canal passed under a double bowstring on Main Street from 1833-1878.  After the Chemung Canal closed, the bridge was used for several more years until its removal in 1881.