Western Inland Lock Navigation Co.

Western Inland Lock Navigation Co.. . [Side One] , Under the leadership of Philip Schuyler, construction on the Western Inland Canal was begun in 1793 and completed in 1795. Proposed by George Washington, amongst others, the nearly mile long canal was a boon to shipping as it eliminated the labor intensive portage of boats and goods around the Little Falls rapids. The canal ceased operation in 1825 with the opening of the Erie Canal. , [Captions] , . Top: Inland Map circa 1803. Note canal lock location in the lower left corner. , . Bottom: Mechanisms built to control the flow of water through the canal. It appears the gates were raised and lowered manually. , Funded by an anonymous donor in the memory of teacher and Little Falls Historical Society founding member Ralph Van Horn , [Side Two] , . The 1795 Canal was rendered obsolete with the 1825 opening of the Erie Canal on the south side of the Mohawk River. , . Little Falls residents and business owners demanded that the State build a feeder canal, an aqueduct, and a boat basin, connecting the two canals. The State approved funding for the aqueduct, but Little Falls had to provide the cut stone for its construction. , . The Little Falls aqueduct completed in 1822 connecting the Erie Canal to the Western Inland Lock Navigation Canal. , . Historic marker erected 2023. Funded through a 2022 Pomeroy Foundation grant. , Funded by the Rotary Club of Little Falls