I've spent a lot of time working with backhoes. Most of that time was digging trenches for drainage tile on farm fields. The goal is a ditch about two feet wide and three to five feet deep. A diesel tractor with an hydraulic pump supplies the power to rhythmically scoop out dirt a few linear feet at a time. Perforated plastic pipe goes in and the opening is then backfilled. It's slow, dirty work and it has given me tremendous appreciation for the canal builders of the early 1800's.
Their trench was much bigger (originally twelve feet wide, four feet deep and 62.6 miles long) and they dug it with crude tools and muscle power - human and animal. Try digging even a small hole with a shovel in heavy clay and you'll get a sense of what was involved. Hit bedrock and the task gets even harder. The completion of the Champlain Canal in 1823 is a feat worth celebrating and that's what two exhibits currently on view at Crandall Library does.
In the upstairs mezzanine gallery a variety of works in different mediums make up the Through Inland Waters: Champlain Canal at 200 show. Over thirty artists have contributed oils and acrylics, watercolors, pastels, pen and ink, photography and textile creations. The result is an expansive, pleasing mix of ways to see the canal. While the exhibit is only up until April 28 the art will remain online here.
Downstairs in the Folklife Gallery Champlain Canal Stories is on view till the end of the year. This exhibit is tied together by a series of survey maps of the canal as it existed shortly after completion. The maps stretch from Whitehall to Waterford and are quite detailed. Historical photos, drawings, artifacts and current navigation charts round out the offering.
Note that a free concert of Erie Canal songs and stories on Thursday, April 27 at 7:00pm complements the exhibits. You might also enjoy reading about the canal in books such as The Champlain Canal: Mules to Tugboats by Captain Fred G. Godfrey and A History of the Glens Falls Feeder Canal by Michael LaCross.
Of course, nothing beats exploring the canal in person. Remember that there are actually two canals: remnants of the original Champlain Canal along with the modern Barge Canal which opens for cruising in the spring. Even if you don't have a boat the locks are fun places to visit with their park like atmosphere. For cyclists, the Empire State Trail connects several of the locks making for an interesting tour.
To see what remains of the old canal try visiting Schuylerville, the Lock 12 mini-park near Fort Miller, Fort Edward or the Towpath Road in Kingsbury. Also the Feeder Canal thru Glens Falls and Hudson Falls with its adjacent walkway and the impressive Five Combines locks below Burgoyne Avenue are a great destination.
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