The start of the building of the Erie Canal in 1817 until its official opening in 1825 helped to spur the growth of our little community. Even the name Middleport comes from our location midway between Lockport and Newport. Newport is now known to us as Albion.
At a cost of over 7 million dollars and more than 8 years of construction, the then proposed 363 mile long canal opened a water route through the Great Lakes to the western states. It was a plan that President Thomas Jefferson said was a “splendid project and may be executed a century hence…” It would take only 16 years for builders to solve the problems involved in building the canal and making it a reality.
Middleport NY – On the historic Erie Barge Canal
Are there tent camping sites on the canal in middle port ?
Thanks for asking. The answer is that there are no camping sites on the canal in Middleport. By the way, the canal bank is owned by the NYS Canal Authority and not by the Village.
where does it connect to the western states?
The canal made it possible to go from the Hudson across the state of New York with an outlet at Buffalo into Lake Erie. Ships could then travel with goods through the Great Lakes and into the western territories.