Enterprising waters

"Enterprising Waters chronicles the story of the Erie Canal from its inception to today. Brings together a wide variety of canal artifacts from museums, libraries, archives, & private collectors. The Erie Canal directed the course of New York and American history. When completed in 1825, the engineering marvel unlocked the Western interior for trade and settlement. Boomtowns sprang up along the canal's path and New York City grew to be the nation's most powerful center of international trade. The book celebrates the story of the Erie Canal from the earliest calls for internal improvements to today. Themes of politics, engineering, commerce, and life on the canal are paired with images of artifacts, documents, and images"--.