Erie Canal
October 26, 2009
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Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. America’s waterways — especially the Mississippi River — carry an increasing amount of freight, totaling more than 2.5 billion tons each year. or as a .wav file
Profile America — Monday, October 26th. One of young America’s most ambitious engineering projects opened on this date in 1825 — allowing goods to flow from Lake Erie through New York state to the Hudson River. The superhighway of its day, the Erie Canal opened up the Western Frontier and made New York City into the nation’s number one port. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Sources: Chase’s Calendar of Events 2009, p. Today, the canal’s importance has shifted to recreation. Census Bureau
online at <www.census.gov>. It was the Erie Canal, 363 miles long, four feet deep and 40 feet wide, with tow paths for mules to pull the barges along. Petroleum products are by far the largest category of freight moved on the water.