New York State Department of Public Works Blueprint Copies of Maps of Lands Permanently Appropriated by the State of New York
for the Use of the Barge Canal
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Overview of the Records
Repository:
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
Summary:
This series documents the responsibilities of the Superintendent of Public Works relating to the appropriation of land for
canal use. It includes appropriation maps; descriptions of appropriated lands; certificates of filing; and notices and affidavits
served on property owners. Maps provide a detailed view of the property to be appropriated; and a detailed narrative description
of lands to be appropriated, including the names of property owners and often those of adjoining property owners.
Title:
Blueprint copies of maps of lands permanently appropriated by the State of New York for the use of the Barge Canal
Quantity:
15.1 cubic feet
5320 maps
Inclusive Dates:
1905-1925, 1942
Series Number:
B0214
Arrangement
B0214-83: Numerical by contract number.
B0214-85: Numerical by contract number and therein alphabetical by name of property owner.
B0214-99: Arranged by canal division and therein geographical by "book" area.
Biographical Sketch
Chapter 147 (Section 4) of the Laws of 1903 empowered the State Engineer and Surveyor to appropriate any lands, structures,
or waters deemed necessary for canal use. In so doing, the State Engineer and Surveyor was required to execute an accurate
survey and map, to which a certificate was affixed stating that the lands therein described had been appropriated by the state
for canal use.
Duplicate copies of maps were filed at the office of the Superintendent of Public Works, which was responsible for serving
the notices of appropriation as well as filing at the county clerk's office duplicate copies of the notices of appropriation,
maps, certificates of service, and descriptions.
Scope and Content Note
This series documents the responsibilities of the Superintendent of Public Works relating to the appropriation of land for
canal use. The series consists of county clerks' certificates of filing notices to be served on property owners; affidavits
of service; duplicates of appropriation maps; and descriptions of lands to be appropriated.
Because all of the maps in this series are duplicates and there are no certificates of appropriation, these are probably the
files maintained by the Superintendent of Public Works office. Location of the originals is unknown.
County clerk's certificates of filing contain the names of the county, town, and county clerk; date; map number; owner's name
(of appropriated land); location (town, city, or village and county) and types of documents filed in the office. Affidavits
of service provide name of county; name and signature of person who served the notice of appropriation; date of serving; name
of person to whom the documents were served; title, if any; signature of notary public; and date notarized. Notices to be
served on property owners inform them that the State Engineer and Surveyor has filed with the Superintendent of Public Works
office the necessary documents for appropriating the land, and that copies of such documents are attached. The notices are
addressed to the property owner. They also provide the date when the State Engineer and Surveyor filed the necessary documents
with the Superintendent of Public Works.
Maps are blueprint copies of original tracings and provide a detailed view of the property to be appropriated. Each map includes
the names of property owners (or reputed owners) and often the names of adjoining property owners; a detailed narrative description
of the lands to be appropriated, written directly onto each map; a standard title that includes the town and county of the
land to be appropriated; a scale equating inches to feet; the direction of true north; a signature block of persons who made,
traced, and checked the maps, sometimes dated; and signed and dated certifications that the duplicates are authentic.
In addition the maps sometimes include land acreage; statements relating parcels to numbered line stations; an indication
of iron pipes (from which parcel measurements were taken, as mentioned in the narrative description); the monumented base
line (a line parallel to the center of the improved Erie Canal); and lines designating proposed pipe lines, the old Erie Canal,
the improved Erie Canal and other features, such as railroad lines.
B0214-83, 6 cu. ft. (42 volumes containing ca. 2,040 maps : folded blueprints ; 19 x 21.5 cm or larger within volume size
of 21 x 33 cm.: Contract and parcel numbers are filled in on preprinted lines found in the upper right corner of each map.
Maps and accompanying documents in the 1983 accretion are held together by string passed through punched holes, and thus bound
between cardboard covers. Each of these has on its center cover a contract number, and a consecutive number (sometimes with
a letter) appears in the upper right corner of the cover. At times another number, pencilled in blue, appears over the main
contract number; its significance is not known. The maps are usually tri-folded and generally range from 19 x 21.5 cm to 19
x 91 cm within the bound size of 21 x 33 cm.
B0214-85, 8 cu. ft. : folded blueprints ; ca. 2,800 maps 15 x 30 cm or larger folded to letter size folders: Contract and
parcel numbers are often written in pencil on the folders containing the maps (or often on the back of the map). Maps and
accompanying documents are filed by contract number and therein alphabetically in folders by last name of property owner.
They are usually tri-folded from sizes ranging from 15 x 30 cm to 15 x 139 cm to fit letter-size folders. The bulk of these
maps measure 19 x 91 cm.
B0214-99, 1 cu. ft. (ca. 475 maps) : blueprints ; 8 1/2 x 11 in.: This accretion consists of approximately 475 blueprint maps
(ca. 8 1/2 x 11 inches) mounted on linen backing. The maps are divided according to the traditional canal divisions (Eastern,
Middle and Western) and then organized into so-called "books" by the specific canal name. Each "book" includes a key map of
the geographic area it covers. Individual maps show the right of way of the Barge Canal and the property acquired by the state
for its construction, including name of property owner, claim number, and acreage of the parcel. Most maps are drawn to the
scale of 1 inch = 500 feet.
B0214-11: This accretion consists of five blueprint maps of lands appropriated in the Town of Cicero, Village of Brewerton
for use by the Barge Canal under the Laws of 1934, Chapter 688, which authorized New York State to receive federal monies
to improve the Barge Canal, and the Laws of 1939, Chapter 542, entitled "an act relating to canals, constituting chapter five
of the Consolidated Laws."
Related Material
B1808 Maps of Lands Permanently Appropriated by the State of New York for the Use of the Barge Canal, 1897-1969, contains the original
paper and linen maps for items in this series
A1277 Notices of Service Upon Owners of Land Appropriated for the Barge Canal, 1905-1916, and
22561 Barge Canal land appropriation files, all contain related records.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.
Access Terms
Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
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Detailed Description
Contents |
Box |
|
Accretion: B0214-11 |
Onondaga County, Town of Cicero, Village of Brewerton (File No. 2764, Parcel Nos. 6057-6061, U.S. Contract No. 65) |
1 |
|
Accretion: B0214-83 |
Contract 1 |
1 |
1 |
Contracts 25, 26, 27, 27A, 27B |
1 |
4 |
Accretion: B0214-85 |
Contract 4 |
1 |
|
Accretion: B0214-99 |
Champlain Canal - Eastern Division Contracts 1, 3, 15, 25, 26, 27, 54, 56 |
1 |
1 |
Champlain Canal - Eastern Division Contracts 1, 68, 69, 70, 70A, 71, 71A, 72, 73 |
1 |
2 |
Erie Canal - Eastern Division Contracts 2, 2E, 11, 20D, 8, 8A, 14 |
1 |
1 |
Erie Canal - Eastern Division Contracts 14, 17, 20B, 20C, 20D |
1 |
2 |
Erie Canal - Eastern Division Contracts 20A, 18, 30, 31, 29 |
1 |
3 |
Erie Canal - Middle Division Contracts 42, 42A, 43, 44, 4 |
1 |
1 |
Erie Canal - Middle Division Contracts 12, 45, 57, 5, 46 |
1 |
2 |
Erie Canal - Middle Division Contracts 50, 51, 55, 123 |
1 |
3 |
Cayuga/Seneca Canal - Middle Division Contracts A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L |
1 |
4 |
Oswego Canal - Middle Division Contracts 10, 35, 37, 37R, 39, 53, 78, 79, 80, 85, 103, 104 |
1 |
5 |
Erie Canal Western Division Contracts 47, 48, 76 |
1 |
1 |
Erie Canal Western Division Contracts 49, 63, 77 |
1 |
2 |
Erie Canal Western Division Contracts 23, 21,6, 60, 61 |
1 |
3 |
Erie Canal Western Division Contracts 62, 9, 65, 64 |
1 |
4 |
Erie Canal Western Division Contracts 66, 67, 40, 19, 83 |
1 |
5 |