Middlesex Canal
| Middlesex Canal | |
|---|---|
_map,_1801.jpg) Map of the canal from 1801 before it was extended to Medford |
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| location | Massachusetts , USA |
| length | 44 km |
| Built | 1795 to 1803 |
| Beginning | Merrimack River |
| The End | Boston Harbor |
| Descent structures | 20th |
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The Middlesex Canal was a shipping canal in the state of Massachusetts in the United States that connected the Merrimack River with the port of Boston . When it was in operation, it was about nine meters wide and about one meter deep. In its course there were 20 locks , each of which was 24 m long and between 3 and 3.5 m wide, and eight aqueducts .
history
On June 22nd, 1793, Governor John Hancock signed the contract to build the 44 km long canal to open up the New England hinterland for trade. Between 1795 and 1803 the canal was built under the leadership of Loammi Baldwin . On April 22nd, 1802, the first boat drove.
The opening of the canal also marked the end of the economic operation of the port of Newburyport at the mouth of the Merrimack River, as all trade from the Merrimack Valley in New Hampshire could now be carried out via the canal to Boston and the ships could no longer use the - sometimes heavy to navigate - had to drive river.
The canal ran from Chelmsford , later Lowell , through several towns in Middlesex County . At first it ended in Medford. It was later extended to Charlestown . Furthermore, a branch to the Mystic River was created near Medford . Other canals allowed freight to be transported to Concord , New Hampshire. The Concord River in Billerica served as the source of water . This was also the highest point on the canal and is now the location of the Middlesex Canal Association's museum .
A barge took 18 hours from Boston to Lowell and 12 hours in the opposite direction. Passenger barges were a bit faster and took about 12 hours in one direction and 8 hours in the other direction.
The canal was one of the most important transportation routes in New England until the railroad was introduced . For the construction of the Boston and Lowell Railroad the original reports of the preliminary investigations for the canal construction were used. Parts of the route ran close to the canal and the building material for the route was transported on the canal.
After the canal had competition from the railroad, it was no longer economically viable and the operating company went bankrupt in 1851. The Middlesex Turnpike also played its part in the canal's decline. The owners suggested converting the canal into a transport canal for Boston's drinking water supply, but this was unsuccessful. In the 20th century, parts of the canal were built over with roads. Although large stretches of the canal are still visible, ever larger parts of the canal are covered by expanding cities. The Middlesex Canal Association has therefore put markings along the old route of the canal.
The Middlesex Canal was added to the List of National Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1967.
See also
- List of entries on the National Register of Historic Places in Middlesex County
- List of entries on the National Register of Historic Places in northern Boston
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Muir, Diana: Reflections in Bullough's Pond , University Press of New England, p. 112
- ↑ (Engl.) Website of the Medford Historical Society over the canal ( Memento of the original on 19 September 2008 at the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link is automatically inserted and not yet tested. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Coordinates: 42 ° 35 ′ 26 " N , 71 ° 16 ′ 56" W.