Maps of United States

Maps of United States Wonders: The Erie Canal

It connects Lake Erie to the Hudson River, and covers 363 miles across New York State, making any map of the Erie Canal one of the more complex maps of United States territory. Begun in 1817 and completed in 1825, the Erie Canal was instantly found useful by virtually everyone who used it. Consequently, it seemed to be under constant expansion for the better part of the nineteenth century. As a result, maps of the Erie Canal were constantly revised and recreated, making them a sort of living document. 

The first maps of the 40-foot wide, 4-foot deep Canal were, of course, authorized by the government and produced by various printers, one of which was E. and E. Hosford. Many variations were available in the first decade the Canal was open. Then in 1836, the first major expansion began and lasted until 1862. Throughout the project, maps continued to be created, as the Canal was always operational in some capacity. Today those maps are a record of how the Canal changed over the 26-year growth phase. Following the expansions, maps were continually produced to meet the demand for knowledge of the most important mode of transporting goods, and more importantly, settlers to the western states.

At present, the New York State Canal Commission creates maps for a few different reasons, and a few of the same ones. The Canal is still an integral part of the transport system, but a new primary role has emerged in the form of tourism. But, whatever purpose it serves, the Erie Canal will always be counted among the greatest accomplishments in engineering and surveying maps of United States.

Link to maps of the Erie Canal.