Hudson Falls in Washington County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Martindale Boat Basin
Photographed By Steve Stoessel, March 30, 2019
1. Martindale Boat Basin Marker
Inscription.
Martindale Boat Basin. . Today’s Boat Basin Park was once a turn-around basin for canal boats that operated out of Hudson Falls. The Feeder Canal was built in 1824 to provide a steady supply of water from the Hudson River to the Champlain Canal. The original canal was only wide enough to allow one boat to pass at a time, therefore boat basins were created to allow boats to pull over as others passed. The Martindale Boat Basin was one of six such basins in the canal. The boats were generally 90 feet long and 14 feet wide., The Martindale Basin was also used as an area for boats to load and unload cargo that was delivered in horse-drawn wagons to merchants. This stone-lined basin was originally 200 feet wide and could hold up to 6 boats. During the 1800’s, 80-100 canal boats would pass through the canal each week. In 1867 Washington County had 41 gristmills and 130 sawmills, all using the canal system for producing and shipping items. Farmers shipped 800,000 bushels of potatoes a year during this period, and a sawmill in Sandy Hill shipped 300 boatloads of lumber along the canal., Inset , This is a 1906 photo of logs floating along the Feeder Canal and passing under the Martindale Avenue Bridge. The last boat passed through the canal in 1928. After the canal was abandoned, this high bridge was lowered and the massive limestone blocks that supported the bridge were pushed into the abandoned basin., These stones were recovered in 1990 and now form the three-tiered retaining wall and access to the boat dock. Due to the deteriorated locks in the canal, paddlers can only navigate the five miles between the Martindale Boat basin and the Feeder Dam in Queensbury. The Feeder Canal is the last original and the only canal that resembles an original canal in New York State.
Today’s Boat Basin Park was once a turn-around basin for canal boats that operated out of Hudson Falls. The Feeder Canal was built in 1824 to provide a steady supply of water from the Hudson River to the Champlain Canal. The original canal was only wide enough to allow one boat to pass at a time, therefore boat basins were created to allow boats to pull over as others passed. The Martindale Boat Basin was one of six such basins in the canal. The boats were generally 90 feet long and 14 feet wide.
The Martindale Basin was also used as an area for boats to load and unload cargo that was delivered in horse-drawn wagons to merchants. This stone-lined basin was originally 200 feet wide and could hold up to 6 boats. During the 1800’s, 80-100 canal boats would pass through the canal each week. In 1867 Washington County had 41 gristmills and 130 sawmills, all using the canal system for producing and shipping items. Farmers shipped 800,000 bushels of potatoes a year during this period, and a sawmill in Sandy Hill shipped 300 boatloads of lumber along the canal.
Inset
This is a 1906 photo of logs floating along the Feeder Canal and passing under the Martindale Avenue Bridge. The last boat passed through the canal in 1928. After the canal was abandoned, this high bridge was lowered and the massive limestone blocks
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that supported the bridge were pushed into the abandoned basin.
These stones were recovered in 1990 and now form the three-tiered retaining wall and access to the boat dock. Due to the deteriorated locks in the canal, paddlers can only navigate the five miles between the Martindale Boat basin and the Feeder Dam in Queensbury. The Feeder Canal is the last original and the only canal that resembles an original canal in New York State.
Erected by Feeder Canal Alliance/ New York State Canal Corporation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1824.
Location. 43° 18.358′ N, 73° 34.858′ W. Marker is in Hudson Falls, New York, in Washington County. Marker is on Martindale Avenue, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hudson Falls NY 12839, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 4, 2019. It was originally submitted on April 3, 2019, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. This page has been viewed 224 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on April 4, 2019, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.