Annotated Bibliography
Primary Sources:
Bond, Frank. "Map of the Louisiana Purchase." Map. University of Washington. Web. 5 April
2013. <www.washington.edu>.
This map of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase is great for me to reference
when talking about the East and West. I will be able to show what went back and forth
with a nice visual representation. This map also helps set the scene and time period as it
shows the colonies, Louisiana Purchase territory, and other land.
Deep Cutting Lockport. 1825. Corporation of New York, Lockport, New York. The Erie Canal.
Web. 2 June 2013. <www.eriecanal.org/Lockport-1.html>.
The Deep Cutting Lockport photo does a great job of showing the hard work put in by the
laborers and workers. The deep cut is another ditch that was built to keep the water
flowing through hard rock and limestone. It was built through the rock instead of over the
rock because water cannot flow uphill here. The primary picture shows one of the many
tough challenges they faced and amazing details built on the Canal.
Dewitt Clinton. Print. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress. Web. 27 May 2013. <www.loc.gov>.
This primary photo is a portrait of DeWitt Clinton. He was the Governor of New York
who proposed the Erie Canal and was in charge of its execution.. This picture lets people
see the man responsible for the Erie Canal’s success.
Erie Canal Invitation. 1825. Granger, New York. Fine Art America. Web. 27 May 2013.
<fineartamerica.com>.
This is an invitation that was sent out to people to celebrate the canal’s completion. It’s a
wonderful primary source that helps to show a little bit of the Erie Canal’s significance.
The invitation from The Corporation of the City of New York invited specific people to
participate with them in the Celebrations on the completion of the Erie Canal.
Erie Canal Lock E-47 at Vischer Ferry. Circa 2012. Photograph. NY. The Travels of Tug 44.
Web. June 2013. <www.tug44.org>.
This photograph is from the Tug 44 website of the boat’s travels along canals. This
specific picture shows Tug 44 traveling towards a lock on the Erie Canal at Vischer Ferry
in Clifton Park, NY. It helps show what the canal looks like as of recent and shows that it
still has importance.
Erie Canal Official Badge. 1825. Granger. Fine Art America. Web. 27 May 2013.
<fineartamerica.com>.
I think this was a really neat source because it is the official badge of the whole Erie
Canal project. It was used in 1825 at the opening ceremony and all of the celebrations. It
depicts a picture of Neptune, the god of the sea and ocean, and Pan, the god of the wild
and nature. This is because the Canal kind of combined the nature and water as well as
the Erie and Atlantic.
Erie Canal Workers. 1820s. Photograph. Art Resource, NY. 27 May 2013. <www.artres.com>.
This photo helps to show the Erie Canal’s importance in creating jobs. It created
thousands of jobs for people that built the canal, built boats, worked at toll booths,
worked on boats, worked in shops along the canal, and got jobs out west. This picture
specifically shows the workers building the Canal. Irish immigrants were a huge part of
the building because the job paid between 80 cents and a dollar a day plus lodging and
meals whereas they were used to making only about 80 cents a week in Ireland.
Farley, Douglas. Flight of Five. circa 1885. Photograph. Niagara County Historical Society,
Lockport, NY.
I especially liked this photograph because it was shown to me by Mike Wrona (one of my
interviewees) so I know it’s accurate and reliable. The photo shows mules pulling boats
through the Lockport Combine which was a very impressive building feature.
Five Cent Erie Canal Stamp. 1967. U.S. Stamp Gallery. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.
<www.usstampgallery.com>.
This is another wonderful primary source that shows some importance of the Erie Canal.
The canal building started in 1817 and this stamp was made in 1967 to celebrate 150
years on the Erie Canal. The postage stamp is worth 5¢ and it depicts a close-up of a boat
traveling along the water of the Erie Canal. It shows the Canal is still important 150 years
later.
Johnson, Ken. Canal Road. 2013. Photograph. Fairview, PA.
This photograph was taken by my grandfather near Fairview and Girard, Pennsylvania of
a street named Canal Road. This shows the impact nearly two centuries later. The Erie
Canal has streets named after it and its extensions.
Johnson, Ken. Erie Extension Canal. 2013. Photograph. Platea, PA.
This source is a photograph of the Erie Canal Extension Sign. It reads, “Part of the old
channel is visible by the present railroad, which replaced the canal. Lockport, now Platea,
was founded 1839 at a point where a series of locks, 28 in two miles, lowered boats
bound for Erie. Canal open 1844-71.” The picture was taken at Platea where the first
unloading terminal for iron ore after leaving Erie is located. The canal’s fate was sealed
here in 1871 yet the Erie and Barge Canal lived on a little longer.
Johnson, Ken. Old Canal Bed. 2013. Photograph. Platea, PA.
This picture shows the old canal bed of the Erie Extension Canal and the railroad next to
it. It is in North Platea and still has some water running through it. Although there is no
longer a canal right here, the canals are being restored in some areas.
Johnson, Ken. Old Gas Line. 2013. Photograph. Fairview, PA.
This picture shows my grandpa’s grandfather’s old gas line that ran by the canal. It was
installed around 1930 and brought natural gas to the city of Fairview, PA.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress." Letter to Whom It
May Concern. 09 Oct. 1863. Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. 1
Mar. 2002. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. <loc.gov>.
This letter was my first primary source which I couldn’t even read at first. I eventually
figured out most of what it said and it turned out that this letter connected to another one
of my primary sources from the New York State Senate and Assembly. Their letter was
saying that the locks of the Erie Canal needed to be enlarged and that the president would
choose the engineer to fit the best interests of the people. This letter from Abraham
Lincoln, who was President at the time, says that he came to a decision about the
engineer. This source helped my whole project to show some political involvement and
another primary source that wasn’t just a picture.
Low Bridge Everybody Down Sheet Music Cover. 1905. Erie Canal Song. Web.
<www.eriecanalsong.com>.
This picture is a good representation of the song, Low Bridge, Everybody Down. It shows
a man riding a mule and ducking under a bridge which is really what the song means; you
had to duck under bridges because they were so low. This is a great title page for the song
playing in the background of my exhibit since it’s the real sheet music cover. It will do an
amazing job of setting the scene and will have a great effect on the reader, but it will also
introduce the song without using more words.
Mohawk Valley, N.Y. 1905. Photograph. Rotograph Co., New York City. The Erie Canal. Web.
27 May 2013. <www.eriecanal.org/east-1.html>.
This photograph is actually on a postcard, but it’s really a great view of where the Erie
Canal passes through the Appalachian Mountains in the Mohawk River Valley Gap. This
gap is the only natural gap wide enough to possibly fit a canal through which made its
location so vital. Today, the Mohawk River, the Erie Canal, America’s first railroad, and
a major highway all run through the gap.
Murdock, Lee. "Low Bridge, Everybody Down." By Thomas S. Allen. 1905. MP3.
This song was written about the Erie Canal and shows a great example of music from the
time period although it’s not from when the Canal was first built. Also called the Erie
Canal Song, this song is about a mule pulling boats along the canal. The song fits well
with the picture that shows a man on a mule ducking under a bridge because the bridges
were built low to save money. The mule is also to commemorate nearly 100 years of
mule power before boats switched to steam power. It’s a really great primary source that
will sound great in the background of my board.
New York Legislature. "Joint Resolutions of the Senate and Assembly of the State of New
York." Letter. Apr. 1863. Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. Web.
Nov.-Dec. 2012. <loc.gov>.
This letter was the first legible primary source I found written by the New York
Legislature about enlarging the locks of the Erie Canal to make it safer for the people.
They expressed concern that with the growing business on the Canal, the locks should be
bigger to ensure safety on the water. The New York Legislature also requests to make it
toll free and the President to decide the architect that would be in the best interest of the
people. This website was reliable as it included very many historical documents.
Opening of the Erie Canal. 1895. Photograph. History of the United States. The Erie Canal.
Web. 27 May 2013. <www.eriecanal.org>.
This photo was pretty cool to have because it seems to have a very symbolic meaning
behind it. Along with “Opening of the Erie Canal”, this photo is also known as “The
Wedding of the Waters” or “The Marriage of the Waters.” This was part of the
celebration as DeWitt Clinton traveled from Buffalo to New York carrying a bucket with
Lake Erie water in it and, as this picture shows, pouring the water into the Atlantic
Ocean. This represented the combining of the waters to form the Erie Canal.
Peck, Everard. View of the Erie Canal Aqueduct. 1827. University of Rochester. Web.
<www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm?PAGE=298>.
This is another piece of artwork that shows the variety of hard work put into the Erie
Canal. It shows the aqueduct over the Genesee River that was made to carry water over
the river since water can’t run on a perpendicular path without turning the wrong
direction. This is also the only known copy of this woodcut view of the aqueduct.
"Population Growth of Cities on the Erie Canal." Chart. U.S. Census. Print.
This was a nice primary chart since it shows the populations of 5 U.S. cities, (Buffalo,
Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee) from 1820 to 1860. It shows how much of
an impact the Erie Canal had on neighboring cities and new ports.
Roberts, W. Jump! Jump! 1852. The Erie Canal. Web. 27 May 2013.
<www.eriecanal.org/boats.html >.
This picture shows a man jumping from a bridge to a packet boat. People did this for fun
sometimes because the bridges were so low. They could duck down low under the bridge
or climb up the bridge, run across it, and jump back down on the boat. I think the picture
does a pretty good job of showing what the people did and it does create a little humor
because it’s definitely not what you’d expect on a 19th century boat. It also helps show
the kind of boats that the passengers traveled in called packet boats.
Rutherfurd, John. Acts and Observations in Relation to the Origin and Completion of the Erie
Canal. New York: N.B. Holmes, 1825. Print.
This source gave a lot of background information from the 1700’s about the need to
improve inland navigation. It talked about the possible places a canal could connect and
lots of events leading up to the building of the canal. The whole thing is from the
perspective of John Rutherford as he explains the government’s position in the whole
thing. I also learned about the locks and enlarging them and a lot of the costs involved in
all of the building. Although I didn’t use this piece on the board (because it’s 41 pages
long,) it gave me a lot of backstory and unseen information.
State Department of Transportation. Canals and Connecting Waterways. Recreational Map and
Guides to New York State Canals. The Erie Canal. Web. March 2013.
<www.eriecanal.org/maps.html>.
This is the best, boldest map of the Erie Canal and surrounding areas I could find. It helps
show the setting and other canals and cities in New York. It includes many canals that
were built off of the Erie Canal. It really gives the viewer a picture of where it was. Not
to mention the color of it matches with the rest of my board.
To and from Albany and Buffalo, by the Erie Canal. 1846. National Almanac. The Erie Canal.
Web. 27 May 2013. <www.eriecanal.org/misc-1.html>.
This poster shows the fares and costs to ride along the canal depending on where your
destination is. It typically cost one cent to travel without board or one cent and a half to
travel with board. The poster also shows the distance to each port and town.
Water of Lake Erie. 1825. The Erie Canal. Web. 27 May 2013.
<www.eriecanal.org/texts/Whitford/1906/Chap02.html>.
This source was an especially great primary source because it is a real life object. It is the
keg of Lake Erie water that was poured into the Atlantic Ocean by DeWitt Clinton to
celebrate to completion of the Erie Canal. This picture goes hand in hand with Opening of
the Erie Canal because it is the same barrel drawn in that picture.
Secondary Sources:
America the Story of Us: Building the Erie Canal. A&E Television Networks. History Channel.
Web. 25 May 2013.
Being that this is a History Channel and America The Story of Us video, I especially liked
it as a source. Not only was it reliable and an actual video source, but it had really good
information. Although the Erie Canal section is only three minutes long, the video and
the recreation of the time period really show how important this was to the nation and all
of the people. Just including the Erie Canal in this series of videos has got to say
something with the popularity of the series.
Bernstein, Peter L. Wedding of the Waters: The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation.
New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. Print.
This book was honestly too long to read in my time limit with it being 400 pages.
However, over 130 sources were used in the making of this book so it became my go-to
book to check other sources for authenticity. Although I didn’t read it all, I used it to
check for more information by going to the index for people, quotes, and facts. The book
was full of important people to the canal building process and it had a bunch of pictures
too.
Bullard, Lisa. The Erie Canal. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 2010. Print.
This book tells what the canal is, the building of it, how successful it was and the
transportation changes. It describes the need for the canal and why it was imperative to
westward expansion. The building process is described and information is given on the
leaders, workers, and ways they built it. I learned a little bit about everything like how
New Yorkers were very proud, the opening of the Erie Canal, Governor De Witt
Clinton’s involvement, the places it connected, and the products carried.
Burrows, Edwin G. "Little Short of Madness." American Heritage [Rockville, MD], Early
Republic sec.: 43-44. Ebsco. Web. Nov.-Dec. 2012.
This article focused more on the effects of the Erie Canal which was great in proving the
turning point. It tells about DeWitt Clinton and how he still believed in the idea of a canal
and executed it very well when others didn’t believe him. The Canal was even finished a
couple years ahead of schedule. It talks about the costs of building of the canal and the
funding of it too. The author of this article, who is a "professor of history”, tells how New
York Cities were affected by the Erie Canal and how other cities transformed into
amazing trade centers.
Coleman, Wim, and Pat Perrin. The Amazing Erie Canal and How a Big Ditch Opened up the
West. Berkeley Heights, NJ: MyReportLinks.com, 2006. Print.
This book has great visuals and graphics to go with the reading and it has a whole map of
the Erie Canal and a timeline that includes when it was proposed, when work started,
when it was finished, when it was enlarged, when tolls stopped, and other major events
that occurred during the time period. It has 6 thorough chapters that each covers a
different section of the canal like an intro, building, and celebrations afterwards. There
are wonderful pictures of the time period as well as people related to the canal. This was
a brilliant source to start the NHD process because it was amazingly thorough, full of
information, and it provided me with many other sources.
"Erie Canal". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia
Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 26 May. 2013.
I thought I had seen everything, but this article brought new information to the table. The
whole article is more from a commercial and work perspective as it talks about the
Western Inland Lock Navigation Company and New York State Canal System. It goes
into the different proposals of the Canal and different obstacles that workers faced such
as the Mohawk River. The article specifically got into the different engineers and
contractors and different sections they were in charge of. It also tells about how much of
a commercial and financial success the Erie was and the impact it still has today.
"Erie Canal." FactMonster. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2007. Web. 25 May 2013.
At first, Fact Monster seemed to have some basic information but it actually wasn’t that
bad. It has the backstory, the canals built off of it, working, tolls, and geographic things. I
believe Fact Monster is a good source to have because it is well known and very reliable.
There are no errors, bias, or opinions and Fact Monster has many other areas they are
knowledgeable in like the states, people, sports, etc.
"Erie Canal." Reviewed by Carl Carmer. The New Book of Knowledge. Grolier Online, 2012.
Web. Dec. 2012.
This article had a lot of information on cities that transformed or improved because of the
canal and New York’s transformation. It contained data about people that moved west
and how the Erie Canal started the canal building era. It also told about the revenue in
New York and how the canal still helps travel today. This website has a little bit of
information on the use of the canal today other than transportation.
"Erie Canal Opens." History.com. Web. 25 May 2013.
While this article did not add much to my research, it did confirm it. Although I’ve had a
few other sources that validated my research, this one kind of verified those sources as
well. Being from the History Channel website, I’m positive that it’s accurate. It confirms
some of my information such as the impact and the Erie Canal’s use today.
Gordon, John Steele. "Economic lessons in American history: the bumbling--and brilliance--we
see today is nothing new to the U.S." USA Today [Magazine] Nov. 2012: 16+. General
Reference Center GOLD. Web. Jan. 2013.
This secondary source, published in a magazine, has some information about the Erie
Canal not found anywhere else. The main part of the article is about other things that
transformed the United State, but it tells how the Erie Canal’s route through the
Appalachians went through the only spot in the mountains that you could possibly build a
canal. This meant there would be no other canal competition, but there would be railroad
competition. It tells how the Erie Canal made a huge profit and that it was under budget,
ahead of schedule and made many cities, especially in New York, profitable and
prospering.
Harness, Cheryl. The Amazing Impossible Erie Canal. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young
Readers, 1995. Print.
Although this book was a children’s book, it had some great information and some
amazing graphics. It validated a good amount of my other research. This book starts with
the backstory and gives a lot of good reasons why the canal was very important to the
building of the United States. There is specifically a lot of information on the shipping
and goods and a few whole pages on the celebration of the canal. The boats and horses
are discussed a lot as well as some of the personal impact to people. The little people I
used in the boat on my display are from this book as well.
"Humans and the Environment: Early Westward Settlements: Canal-Building Spurs Boom for
Farmers and Fishermen." United States Geography. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 4 Jan. 2013.
This source had a lot of information about the Erie Canal and things associated with it
like the workers, the building process, goods being shipped, more canals, and profits
made. It is the only source that talked about how commercial fishing had improved and
how fish could be sold to pioneers so they didn’t have to catch their own. Some of the
workers and wages and a little bit of their harsh journey while building the Erie Canal are
discussed. Many cities increased in population, export, or wealth because of the
sensational canal. The article was very thorough and was also written by a reliable
professor of history.
Johnson, Ken. "Ken Johnson Interview on the Erie Canal." Telephone interview. 11 May 2013.
This was my first interview source that happened to come from my grandpa. He lives in
Erie, Pennsylvania and is very knowledgeable on the canals. I talked to him multiple
times adding up to about two hours. I learned about his personal connection to the canal
as his granddad used to own an extension of the Erie Canal. He told me about a lot of
local things to do with the canals and the impact it had on Erie and surrounding areas.
This was very helpful to know more of a local impact that you don’t see in books or
online. It was also great to have another opinion and learn what the Erie Canal means to
someone else. Ken also sent me some pictures he had and primary sources only available
in the Erie area.
Kendall, Martha E. The Erie Canal. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2008. Print.
This book is my best source, hands down. I found a lot of information on the building,
laboring, and the Irish immigrants that came to work here. The book talks a lot about life
on the Canal and how much the Canal fit into everyday life. I found many quotes that will
be useful to my board and displaying other’s opinions. I also found my new favorite
quote by William Stone that talks about how America built this amazing canal for the
least money, time, and knowledge and the greatest public benefit.
"Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises." Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises. Web. 2013.
<http://www.lockportlocks.com/>.
Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises is the workplace of one of my interviewees,
Michael Wrona. This was neat to find this website that is dedicated to preserving the Erie
Canal and remembering it. Lockport Locks specializes in the Lockport Combine and they
give cruises and lessons on the Erie Canal’s history and significance. I mainly learned
about the Canal’s recreational use today from this website.
Modern Marvels: The Erie Canal. Dir. Bruce Nash. The History Channel, 2000. Video.
This documentary was my first complete video source. It’s originally from the History
Channel series, “Modern Marvels.” I believe this video was completely accurate and
completely amazing as it confirmed a lot of my information that wasn’t backed up by
other sources. It backed up my research on the engineers, Appalachian Mountains, tolls,
Wedding of the Waters, shipping costs, boat speeds, and railroads. It also gave me tons of
more information on old canals, passenger boats, building and tools, and how the canal is
used today. Not only did this documentary have all this information, but most of it also
helps prove my point.
Pendergast, Tom, and Sara Pendergast. Westward Expansion: Almanac. Ed. Christine Slovey.
Detroit, MI: U X L, 2000. Print.
The Westward Expansion Almanac is all about the United States and the move to the
west. The section that includes the Erie Canal is about transportation used to expand the
country like canals, stagecoaches, railroads, and the Pony Express. The Erie Canal is
described as one of the most important canals too. The book tells how travel wasn’t
always that easy and how the transportation improved throughout the colonial era. Along
with the workers, wages, and profits, the great success of the canal was also included.
Rosenberg, Matt. "Erie Canal - History of Erie Canal." Geography Home Page - Geography at
About.com. Web. 25 May 2013.
This article is more specifically about the before, during, and after of the Erie Canal. It
starts with a short backstory and gets into how New York City was involved even though
it wasn’t right on the canal. This was really the only source that explained New York
City’s connection, but it also talks a little about government things like the funding,
approving, and political disagreements. There is a good amount of info on shipping goods
too. The article definitely isn’t biased because at the end, instead of saying how important
it is, the author says that railroads and automobiles sealed the Erie’s fate. Nonetheless it
was a good source that had been cited 136 times and was voted credible on EasyBib.
Sadowski, Frank E., Jr. ""Clinton's Big Ditch"" The Erie Canal. 2012. Web. 03 Oct. 2012.
<www.eriecanal.org>.
This was without a doubt my best website because instead of bits and pieces of
information, it had everything! Some specific information I got from it was a nickname
for the Erie Canal, Clinton's Big Ditch and statistics like the lock sizes, length, number of
locks, measurements and a diagram. There I even information on the different boats of
the canal and old maps of New York and the Canal System. Historical images like
lithographs, paintings, and woodcuts of the canal were found here as this is where
majority of my pictures came from. The author really appears to know a lot about the
Erie Canal and he leaves a lot of links to other books, websites, biographies, and
historical documents.
Santella, Andrew. The Erie Canal. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point, 2005. Print.
There are many organized chapters in this book like the journey, the expansion, the
challenges, building, changes, as well as a glossary, did you know, important dates,
important people, want to know more, and index. There are many pictures with some
being of the era and some being from today. It talks about canals that inspired the Erie
Canal and canals that were inspired by the Erie Canal. The building of the canal and the
opening were talked about in depth. Life on the canal, passengers, boats, and goods were
mentioned along with changes and interesting facts about it.
Stein, R. Conrad. The Erie Canal. New York: Children's, 2004. Print.
Dates and times are given of everything and give a great sense of chronological order in
this book. Many historical figures were involved in this book and a background of each
of them is included. Thorough maps and historical photographs were found throughout
the book, as well as great diagrams which helped me know what to expect through the
whole process. Workers and conditions were described and even the songs they sang. It
gives a more in depth look at the canal’s opening and why the Erie Canal is still
important today. This source also includes more books and websites on the topic and has
an about the author section.
Sullivan, George. Built to Last: Building America's Amazing Bridges, Dams, Tunnels, and
Skyscrapers. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction, 2005. Print.
Built to Last has information on some of the great buildings of the United States
including their rises and falls. The first architectural building featured is the Erie Canal,
the reason for the transportation revolution that advanced to today. This book tells about
life before the canal was built and why people needed it in the west and the east. The
Appalachian Mountains being a barrier to the west posed as a huge problem to expansion.
This source, along with many others says how many people doubted Clinton and his
ideas. It talks a little more about Clinton as a governor too. Information about the boats,
things they carried, and amounts of men, horses, and boats were included.
"The Official Museum of the Erie Canal." The Erie Canal Museum. 2012. Web. 08 Nov. 2012.
The Erie Canal Museum was a reliable source because it's a real place's website.
Although it was trying to attract tourists, it had some good historical information. This
was nice to find that it was a real place rather than just information on the Canal. This
website is committed to preserving the only existing weigh lock in the United States. The
museum collects Canal Materials and promotes awareness of the effect the canal has had
on the U.S. The history page included things like the travel cities, locks sizes, and
enlargements. I did learn how to use the weigh locks to weigh boats.
Thompson, Linda. The Erie Canal. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Pub., 2005. Print.
The book itself is fine, but this late in my research, I’ve seen almost all of the
information. It did confirm a good amount of my previous research and show me a few
more pictures of the building process. However, some of the information just wasn’t
strong enough to add anything to my project. Despite the unnecessary information, I did
learn about the origin of the name, “Erie.” I also learned how the canal sparked
engineering in the U.S. and a lot of very important people to the building of the canal.
"Transportation revolution of the 19th century." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 4
Jan. 2013.
Along with talking a little bit about canals, this article explains different types of
transportation and how they improved and took over each other throughout the 19th
century. It specifically said about the Erie Canal, why it was built, the path a ship could
travel, and canals that were inspired by it. The steam engine and railroad took over the
canal system although the Erie Canal started the whole revolution. The Erie Canal is
stated as the “most significant early canal.” This document mentions how greatly
shipping was improved by the Canal and tells the places the canal connected.
Wrona, Michael. "Michael Wrona Interview on the Erie Canal." Telephone interview. 19 May
2013.
After searching for Erie Canal experts, I found a man named Captain Mike Murphy. I
contacted him about an interview and Mike Wrona responded saying he was Captain
Murphy’s assistant and he’d be happy to help me. Mr. Wrona works at Lockport Locks
and teaches a class to visiting New York and Pennsylvania students. He is an advocate
for Erie Canal designation as a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site. He was more than qualified with a
Bachelor’s Degree in History/Political Science from Western Kentucky University and a
Master of Science Degree in Education from the State University College of New York at
Buffalo. During our interview I confirmed some information and learned some new
information on his profession, the Erie Canal Proposal, the canal today, and its impact.
Mr. Wrona also provided me with a few other sources and a great picture.