Map and Profile of the Proposed Canal from Lake Erie to Hudson River; Erie Canal map by BRINCKERHOFF, E - 1817

Newburgh: Lewis, & Shelton & Kensett, 1817. Map. Engraving. Image measures 10" x 43". Sheet measures 11.5" x 43".<br/><br/> This rare map shows the proposal for the Erie Canal as of 1817, just around the time when construction on the canal commenced. The information presented was collected through surveys during the previous decade, used both to plan out the route and convince detractors of the canal's usefulness. The map shows the area between Lake Erie and Albany, with the proposed canal situated among surrounding roads and rivers. At the top, a line diagrams the locks needed to overcome differences in elevation based on the level of Lake Erie. Below, a second line shows the profile of the canal's southern route west of the Mississippi. Includes pamphlet. The Official Reports of the Canal Commissioners of the State of New-York. New York state government built the Erie Canal between 1817 to 1825, the canal extended 363 miles connecting Albany (on the Hudson River) with Buffalo (on Lake Erie).<br/><br/>