Erie Canal, US
Ceased service in 1994
The Erie Canal is a historic waterway in the United States. In 1817, the New York State Legislature authorized its construction. Before railroads, water transport was the most cost-effective method for shipping bulk goods, as a mule could only carry about 250 pounds but could draw a barge weighing up to 60,000 pounds along a towpath. This allowed a canal to reduce transport costs by approximately 95 percent. The canal's last regularly scheduled hauler, the Day Peckinpaugh, ceased service in 1994.
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Sources
- Wikidata · CC0
- Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0