Research: Topics: Transportation: Guide to Canal Records
Guide to Canal Records
Historical Canals
As the canal system was enlarged and improved, the State abandoned various canals or canal sections which it no longer found economical or important to maintain. The following list indicates the routes of the original canal system, including sections abandoned by the State, and their years of operation.
| Champlain Canal, 1822-1917 | Waterford to Whitehall |
| Erie Canal, 1825-1917 | Albany to Buffalo |
| Cayuga and Seneca Canal, 1828-1918 | Montezuma to Geneva |
| Oswego Canal, 1829-1917 | Syracuse to Oswego |
| Chemung Canal, 1833-1878 | Montour Falls to Elmira |
| Crooked Lake Canal, 1833-1877 | Dresden to Penn Yan |
| Oneida Lake Canal, 1835-1863 | Higginsville to Sylvan Beach |
| 1877-1878 | Oneida Lake to Oneida Castle |
| Chenango Canal, 1837-1880 | Utica to Binghamton |
| Genesee Valley Canal, 1840-1878 | Rochester to Olean |
| Black River Canal, 1850-1924 | Rome to Carthage |
| Oneida River Improvement, 1850-1918 | Oneida Lake to Three Rivers Point |
Source: "Recreational Map and Guide to New York State Canals," New York State Department of Transportation, 1987.
