Canals, Water Power and Industry

Canals, Water Power and Industry. . , Cohoes started as a farming community. It developed as an industrial center because of its location along the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, the Erie Canal, and the abundant water power generated by the Cohoes Falls. The routes of the original (completed in 1825) and enlarged (opened in Cohoes in 1842) Erie Canals passed through Cohoes. Cohoes remained an active canal town until the Erie Canal was replaced by construction of the NYS Barge Canal in 1915. The course of the original canal was close to the Mohawk River in this area, and cut through what is now downtown Cohoes, following the route of present-day Main Street. The original Erie Canal joined with the Champlain Canal at "Juncta," located near the present-day intersection of Saratoga and Spring Streets. The route of the original canal is shown on the map on the other side., A widened (70' wide vs. 40' wide) and deepened (7' deep vs. 4' deep) Erie Canal followed a more westerly course. Because of the need to navigate around the Cohoes Falls, Cohoes had the largest number of locks in any community along the canal. Several of the double chamber limestone locks from the enlarged Erie Canal are still in existence; the locations of these locks are indicated on the map. Locks 37 and 38 of the original Erie Canal were later used as foundations of industrial buildings; these locks can be seen through a periscope viewer at the Clinton's Ditch Interpretive Plaza on North Mohawk Street. The interpretive signs along the Canal Heritage Trail route starting at the plaza tell more of the story of the canals in Cohoes., The Cohoes Falls had great value as a source of water power. The Cohoes Company was formed in 1826 to harness the power of the falls for industrial use. The company built dams above the falls, and developed an ingenious multi-level system of power canals, designed by Erie Canal engineer Canvass White, by which water power was transmitted and sold to Cohoes industries. The power canal network included sections of the original Erie Canal, which were abandoned for navigational use when the enlarged canal was completed., With the water power of the Cohoes Falls and the Erie Canal for transportation of raw materials and finished products, Cohoes became a center for textile manufacturing and other industries. The Harmony Mills began operation in 1837, and grew through the 19th century to become one of the largest cotton textile mills in the world. At its peak, the Harmony Company owned six factory buildings, hundreds of houses for mill workers, and other structures to support mill operations. Much of the sturdy brick housing constructed for mill workers remains in use as residences, and several of the Harmony Mills factory buildings (Mills #1, #3, #4, and #6) have been converted into apartments. An overview of the Harmony Mills story can be found on the interpretive signs in Power Canal Park located at Vliet and North Mohawk Streets., [ Top Photo: ] View of Lock 14 of the enlarged Erie Canal, near present-day Standish Street. The limestone wing walls of the double-chamber locks, the canal towpath, and the locktender's shelter can be seen in this picture. On top of the hill behind the lock, one can see the tower of Longview, the home of Harmony Mills superintendent David John Johnston. - Image Courtesy of Spindle City Historic Society, [ Middle Photo: ] View of the enlarged Erie Canal near Lock 18, looking south. The towers of Harmony Mill #3 can be seen in the distance. If you look closely at the image, you can see a group of people gathered in front of the locktender's shelter, and someone sitting on the balance beam attached to the lock gate. - Image Courtesy of Spindle City Historic Society, [ Map Caption: ] This map view of the Harmony Mills complex shows Mills #1, #2, #3, and #5. Neighborhoods of mill worker housing can be seen to the north and west of the mills. The Mohawk River is in the foreground, and sections of the Cohoes Company's extensive power canal system run alongside and between the mill buildings. The enlarged Erie Canal is located west of the mills. - Image Courtesy of Spindle City Historic Society