Power Point presentation featuring images of the old Erie Canal in Fort Plain.

1. The Old Erie Canal with special thanks to Myron Saltsman for his many years of collecting images of the way we were

3. Artist’s rendering of Fort Plain with the Erie Canal at the heart of the town

5. Cutting stone to be used in building the canal

6. Building the canal along Hancock Street, currently one of the main entryways into the village on Route 5S

7. Looking down on old Fort Plain with the canal at its center

8. Looking west from the State Street bridge

9. Another view, looking east from the State Street aqueduct

11. Present day Route 5S and State Street are now located where this Erie Canal lock and towpath once stood

12. State Street’s Lock 32. A sizeable remnant of this lock remains and is presently privately owned and covered by a house and garage

13. Looking east down State Street from the bridge to the lock. The bridge at the background would have been located at what is now the main intersection in Fort Plain at Main and Canal Streets

14. Towpath along Lock 32. The towpath would have run parallel to what is now Route 5S

16. Canal boats were usually pulled by teams of two or three mules

17. A three mule team

18. Towpath on what is now State Street. The towpath would have been across the park from the library’s River Street entrance

19. Gang plank from canal boat to State Street towpath

20. Aqueducts such as this one carried canal water over a lower level stream

21. State Street aqueduct carrying the canal over the Otsquago Creek. This aqueduct was located across Haslett Park from the library’s River Street entrance

22. Another view of the State Street aqueduct. In the latter half of the 1900’s, early spring waters demolished the remnants of the aqueduct

23. Another view of State Street aqueduct

24. Canal boat passing over State Street aqueduct

25. Redecking an aqueduct

27. Canal boats were often homes to entire families

28. Housekeeping aboard a canal boat

29. Life on board a canal boat

30. Passengers aboard a Canal boat tied up at the rear of the stores that lined Canal Street. River Street and the current library entrance would have been across the canal

31. A pleasure craft, The Kitty West

32. The A.A. Miller, out of Fort Plain

33. Boat along shore in the vicinity of the present day Elm Tree Hall

34. The launch, San Toy

35. The tug, The George Eldridge

36. Crew painting and caulking one of the many boats that traveled the Canal

38. Rear view of stores on Canal Street. The rear of many of these same stores can be seen from the library’s River Street entrance

39. Canal boats lined up in back of stores on Canal Street

40. At the rear of the bakery and other stores on Canal Street. This scene would have been a block down from the present day library

41. Wooden occupation bridge built so that farmers could tend their fields on the other side of the Canal

42. Industry flourished along the banks of the canal

43. Canal boats along side the Fritcher Opera House. The Opera House was across from the Williams House which was later donated to the library association

45. Fineour’s canal store. The actual building was disassembled and is at the NY State Museum

46. Another view of Fineour’s store

47. Another view of the canal store near Lock 32

48. 1909 photo of Fineour’s store. A replica of the store may be viewed at the Fort Plain Museum

49. The Haymarket Club, an entertainment venue accessible from the canal

50. Wide water summer

51. Wide water winter

52. Boats tied up above lock 32 for the winter