Research


Scope and Content Note

This series is comprised of 13 volumes of letter books that contain carbon copies of correspondence written by resident and division engineers engaged in work on the Middle Division of the Erie Canal. The correspondence in these letter books is administrative in nature, addressing various aspects of work on the Middle Division, which included the counties of Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga. Much of the correspondence deals with the enlargement of the Erie Canal which began in 1836. Topics of the correspondence include land transactions; contracts and issues with contractors; construction of locks and other structures; estimates and accounts; issues with labor; and canal conditions. Some copies are severely faded, rendering them difficult to read and in certain cases illegible.