Building a Canal, and an Economy
Cruising the Erie Canal outside Lockport
I am what Thomas Jefferson would have referred to as a “Yorker.” The title was not intended as a compliment, I am certain. It conveys all the stubbornness and outlandish perspective that characterize New York, which has been my adopted, and beloved, home state for many years. Marry these traits with some ingenuity, brute strength, a little financial structuring, and the ability to see into the future, and you wind up with an Erie Canal—363 miles of commercial success and national growth beyond anything the dweebs in Washington could conceive after three decades of governance.
New York was always ahead of the game. The canal was “impossible” to construct, “impossible” to finance, “impossible” to manage and maintain. Luckily for our nation, Yorkers have a way of ignoring the negative chatter that surrounds them and forging ahead.
View of the Erie Canal from a footbridge outside Syracuse on a perfect New York afternoon
An Erie Canal view near its beginnings at Waterford
The Erie Canal, which we have visited quite a number of times, is a main focus for the sequel to Noble. The story of its construction against all odds is, for me, the embodiment of America’s grit, talent, and vision. At the same time, the canal’s existence, and its enormous success, brought societal changes that some would argue were far from positive. One can look to New York and the last years of the initial canal’s construction for the prophecy of class distinctions, racial tensions, wealth inequality, and even juvenile delinquency. But I have shown too many cards here . . . you will have to read the sequel to know more . . . and read Noble first to appreciate what comes after . . .
