Termination of the Erie Canal

Wayne Sentinel, Palmyra
June 15,1825

Termination of the Erie Canal. On the evening of the 2nd inst. The gates at the foot of the Black Rock Harbor were opened, and Lake Erie, for the first time commenced feeding the western extremity of the Erie Canal, which is now open the whole distance to Albany, excepting the interruption at Lockport. On Friday, suitable arrangements were made for celebrating this event, and the following particulars we copy from the Black Rock Gazette:

"On Friday morning at 9 o’clock the committee of arrangements for Black Rock, accompanied by the canal commissioner (Mr. Bouck) the engineers (Messrs. Roberts, Hurd and Root,) and about 50 gentlemen and Ladies, embarked in the large boat Superior, which lay in the river on the outside of the harbour, and had been handsomely fitted up, decorated with flags and provided with music and refreshments. After passing ten miles down the river they entered the mouth of the Tonnewanta creek and at half past eleven while a salute was firing by the inhabitants of the Tonnewanta, ascended, through the lock at that place into the canal, when they were met and joined by the committees and other citizens from Lockport, Pendleton and Tonnewanta who had respectively provided themselves with Packet-Boats neatly fitted and decorated for the occasion. After interchanging congratulations and partaking of some refreshments, the whole party in five boats, got under way at half past one o’clock for Black Rock. At three o’clock they arrived at and entered the harbor where they were met and cheered by a large concourse of citizens formed in handsome order, along the bridge dam, and ship lock, and by four new Barges belonging to the Steam-Boats, filled with ladies and gentlemen. The whole of the boats then moved in handsome style about a mile up the beautiful harbor, under a national salute and reiterated cheerings from the people on shore and landed at N. Still’s wharf. A procession was her formed under the direction of J. L. Barton Esp. Marshall of the day, and marched to the Steam Boat Hotel where about 150 of them set down to a very handsome dinner, furnished by Mr. Thayer. The day was marked by great hilarity and good feeling, and not the least incident occurred to mar its pleasures.

This new line of canal which winds along the margin of the Niagara for nine miles between this and Tonnewanta is remarkably beautiful, having been laid out with great taste and judgment and faithfully executed. IT is wider and deeper than are the other sections, for the purpose of throwing forward from the lake into the basin formed by the bed of the Tonnewanta, an ample supply of water for the whole line west of Rochester.