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Photographer: Anton Schwarzmueller
Taken: July 24, 2014
Caption: Genesee Valley Canal Marker (previous version)
Additional Description: Across the gorge from this spot ran the famous Genesee Valley Canal. Starting in 1836, it took 26 years and $6,000,000 to build this man-made waterway. The canal rested on the ledge of the cliffs, hundreds of feet above the river, and it was the water link between the Allegany River and Erie Canal.

The canal carried lumber, farm products, and other materials over its 124 mile length and through more than 100 locks, traveling from the Genesee Valley to distant markets.

The canal was abandoned in 1878 and replaced by a railroad. Remnants of the canal and railroad are part of Letchworth state Park and can still be seen today on trail #7.
Submitted: August 7, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.
Database Locator Identification Number: p281808
File Size: 4.215 Megabytes

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