John Quincy Adams (1825 - 1828)
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Governor DeWitt Clinton proposes construction of a Black River Canal to link the Mohawk River with Lake Ontario.
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1826 |
First Canal Survey. Engineer James Geddes reports on three routes from Herkimer, Boonville and Fort Bull -- all terminating at Ogdensburg on the St. Lawrence. |
1828 |
First Black River Canal Company formed to build a canal from Rome to Lyons Falls and improve the river from Lyons Falls to Carthage within 3 years. Authorized to sell $400,000 in stock. |
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Second Canal Survey. Alfred Cruger completes survey for Black River Company. Proposes 34-mile canal, 11-mile feeder, 40 miles of river navigation, and 1,090 feet of lockage. |
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Andrew Jackson (1829 - 1836) |
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1829 |
State Legislature orders Canal Commissioners to make survey. Fail to do so. |
1830 |
Commissioners again ordered to make survey. |
1831 |
Third Canal Survey. Holmes Hutchinson reports on canal with feeder, inclined planes, and locks. |
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Black River Canal Company fails to raise sufficient capital. |
1832 |
Second Black River Company incorporated to build canal or railroad. Authorized to sell $900,000 in stock. |
1835 |
Fourth Canal Survey. T. B. Jervis reports on a canal 26 ft. wide, 4 ft. deep, with banks 7 ft. high, with or without inclined planes. |
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Citizens of Oneida, Lewis, Jefferson, & St. Lawrence countries draw up memorial in favor of a canal. |
1836 |
State Canal Commission authorizes construction of an overland Black River Canal and Erie Canal feeder, as well as improvement of Black River. |
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Porteous R. Root appointed chief engineer. |
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Martin Van Buren (1837 - 1840) |
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1837 |
Root completes detailed location surveys. |
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First 14 miles located and put under contract. |
1838 |
Contracts let for construction from Lansing Kill to Lyons Falls, and for 10-mile feeder canal from Forestport to Boonville. |
1840 |
E. H. Broadhead reports on extending canal from Carthage to Lake Ontario. |
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Lansing Kill aqueduct completed. |
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Black River Canal Bond issued in 1839 |
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William Henry Harrison (1841)
John Tyler (1841 - 1844) |
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1841 |
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1842 |
Deficits in general revenue prompt state legislature to pass “Stop and Tax Law,” halting all work on the canal except necessary repairs. |
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Forestport feeder canal provides 11,500 cu. ft. per minute to Erie Canal. |
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1903 State Dam at Forestport |
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James Polk (1845 - 1848) |
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1844 |
State Canal Commissioners order canal materials to be sold with proceeds used to preserve existing work. |
1846 |
State Constitution forbids selling, leasing, or disposing of canal. |
1847 |
“Stop and Tax Law” lifted. |
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Black River Canal Superintendent Nelson Beach of Watson
Rides 1st Canal Boat From Boonville to Forestport
December 16, 1848. |
1848 |
Contracts let to complete locks near headwaters at Boonville. |
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Erie Canal Feeder Canal opens between Forestport and Boonville (10 miles). |
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Black River Steam Boat Company chartered. |
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Zachary Taylor (1849 - 1850) |
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1849 |
Water for Erie Canal begins to flow. |
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Canal filled between Boonville and Rome. |
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Survey of Woodhull Lake and Wolf Lake completed. Temporary dam built. |
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State Legislature approves funds for improving river between Lyons Falls and Boonville. |
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Millard Filmore (1850 - 1852)
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May 10. Southern section of canal opens (25 miles) between Rome and Boonville.
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Contracts let for northern section from Port Leyden to Lyons Falls. |
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November 1. Canal from Boonville to Port Leyden opens (6 miles). |
1851 |
Plans made for four reservoirs (2 billion cu. ft. water) and for improving Black River between Lyons Falls and Carthage. |
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Contracts let for Mohawk feeder canal at Delta. |
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Franklin Pierce (1853 - 1856) |
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1853 |
Bridge planned over Black River at Carthage. |
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Contracts let for Woodhull and North Lake reservoirs. |
1854 |
Dams built at Carthage and Lyons Falls. |
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Locks 108 and 109 completed. |
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1855 |
November 13. Canal between Port Leyden and Lyons Falls opens (3 miles). |
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Contracts let for reservoirs at South Lake and Chub Lake. |
1856 |
North Branch reservoir completed (423 acres, 310 million cu. ft. capacity). |
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James Buchanan (1857 - 1860) |
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1859 |
Woodhull and South Lake reservoirs put under contract. |
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Guard-lock for Delta feeder completed. |
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Contracts let for Otter Creek lock and dam. |
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October 10. Contracts let for improving the Black River between Lyons Falls and Carthage (60 ft. channel, 5 ft. water). |
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Contract let for dam at Carthage. |
1860 |
Woodhull Reservoir completed (1,236 acres, 780,943,680 cu. ft. capacity). |
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South Lake Reservoir completed (518 acres). |
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Delta Feeder completed. |
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Abraham Lincoln (1861 - 1865) |
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1861 |
Otter Creek lock and dam completed. |
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River navigation opens between Carthage and Beach’s Bridge, Lowville (22.5 miles). |
1863 |
Canal commissioners urge completion of Chub Lake Reservoir. |
1864 |
Lock and dam authorized between Otter Creek and Carthage. (Completed 1869). |
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Canal Commissioners authorize bridge over Black River at Lyons Falls (completed 1865)
and at North St. in Port Leyden. |
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Andrew Johnson (1865 - 1868) |
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1865 |
Work contracted for lock and dam at Otter Creek (3 miles above Beach’s Bridge). |
1866 |
State takes control of bridges at Illingsworth and Beach’s Landing (Lowville). |
1867 |
Canal to be deepened and widened from its junction with Erie at Rome to Lock No. 1 |
1868 |
Bridge authorized over canal at Main St. in Port Leyden. (Completed 1869). |
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Ulysses S Grant (1869 - 1876) |
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1869 |
Bridge authorized over Beaver River. |
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Iron bridge to be built at Floyd St. in Rome. |
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April 21. Dam break at North Lake Reservoir floods Black River Valley as far as Watertown. Claims for $700,000 filed. |
1870 |
First level of Black River Canal at Rome enlarged to the size of Erie. |
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North Lake Reservoir reconstructed. |
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Old Forge Dam |
1872 |
Dam to be built at Moose River at Old Forge (outlet of Fulton Chain of Lakes). |
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Sand Lake Reservoir completed (200 million cu. ft. capacity). |
1874 |
February 1. State canal system consolidated into three administrative divisions. Black River Canal placed in Middle Division. |
1875 |
Canal board ordered to examine and report on the possible sale of canal. |
1876 |
January 13. Canal Commissioner Thayer and State Engineer Sweet decide against abandoning or selling canal. |
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Rutherford B Hayes (1877 - 1880) |
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1877 |
Canal Commission reports that the canal should be kept open and maintained intact. |
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All locks on the Black River Canal repaired. |
1880 |
Surveys of Canachagala, Twin, and White lakes undertaken. |
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Dam built at Second Bisby Lake. |
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James A Garfield (1881)
Chester Arthur (1881 - 1884) |
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1881 |
Reservoirs to be built on Independence and Beaver rivers. |
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Canachagala, Bisby, White, Twin, and Fulton Chain Lake reservoirs completed. |
1882 |
State Constitution (Art. VII, Sec. 6) prohibits lease or sale of canal. |
1883 |
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Stillwater selected as reservoir site on Beaver River. |
1884 |
Iron canal bridge across Chenango Canal at Utica removed and placed across Black River Canal at Rome. |
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June 8. Wooden spillway at Lyons Falls washes out. |
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Work begins on second Forestport Reservoir. (Completed December, 1893). |
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Grover Cleveland (1885 - 1888) |
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1885 |
Towpath to be built on south bank of Beaver River in town of New Bremen. |
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Work begins on Stillwater Dam. |
1886 |
Stillwater Dam completed (9.5 ft. above low water, 150 ft. spillway; 328 million cu. ft. capacity). |
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January 5. South abutment and 90 ft. of the dam and apron at the head of Delta Feeder washes out. |
1887 |
Lock 29 rebuilt. |
1888 |
Locks 8 and 48 rebuilt. |
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Benjamin Harrison (1889 - 1892) |
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1889 |
Lock 60 rebuilt. |
1890 |
Lock 12 rebuilt. |
1891 |
Lock 1 rebuilt. |
1892 |
Beaver River Dam at Stillwater enlarged and raised 5 feet. (Completed 1894). |
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Grover Cleveland (1893 - 1896) |
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Forestport Reservoir damages New York Central Railroad embankment.
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Work begins on bridge over canal between Carthage and West Carthage. (Completed 1896).
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Work begins on draw-bridge over canal at Garden St. in Rome. (Completed 1896).
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Work begins on iron bridge over canal at Thomas St. in Rome. (Completed 1896).
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Locks 18, 28, and 37 rebuilt.
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Locks 39, 40, and 41 rebuilt.
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William McKinley (1897 - 1901)
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1897 |
July 23. First Forestport Break (400 ft., 50 ft. deep). |
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Locks 49 and 96 rebuilt. |
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1898 |
David E. Whitford reports on water-supply from Adirondack forest. |
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May 23. Second Forestport Break. |
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Locks 51 and 55 rebuilt. |
1899 |
State Superintendent of Public Works, Colonel John Partridge, hires Pinkerton Detective Agency to investigate the second Forestport break. |
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September 18. Third Forestport Break. |
1900 |
Locks 47 and 64 rebuilt |
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Superintendent Partridge recommends abandoning canal between Boonville and Lyons Falls. |
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Perpetrators of Forestport Breaks apprehended, indicted, and convicted. |
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Theodore Roosevelt (1901 - 1908)
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Work begins on replacing the lower Forestport Dam with concrete structure. (Completed 1903).
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July 28. Break near Lock 13.
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Concrete dam on Beaver River completed.
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Bridges 4, 11 and 9 replaced.
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Governor Frank Higgins recommends abandoning Black River Canal between Boonville and Rome.
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Howard Taft (1909 - 1912) |
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Work begins on Delta Dam on Mohawk north of Rome.
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Governor John Dix vetoes bill to extend canal from Carthage to Sackett’s Harbor on Lake Ontario.
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Woodrow Wilson (1913 - 1920) |
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Governor Martin Glynn vetoes canal extension.
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Warren Harding (1921 - 1923) |
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Black River Canal closes. |
1924 |
State scow at Boonville towed to Rome |
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Lock Near Sugar River |
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