Chronology - Chenango Canal.

CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ OF IMPORTANT LAWS AND EVENTS.

CHENANGO CANAL.

1803	Chapter 102 – Chenango river declared a public highway.
1824	Petition presented, praying for construction of Chenango canal.
1825	Chapter 236 – Canal commissioners to survey for canal from Chenango Point up Chenango river to Erie canal. Geddes’ survey; 90 miles; lockage, 1,050 ft.; estimated cost, $715,478.
1826	Canal committee report in favor of construction of Chenango canal.
1828	Hutchinson’s survey; 92.775 miles; summit 706 ft. above Erie.
1829	Chapter 72 – Commissioners to build canal, Binghamton to Utica, upon satisfactory examinations concerning water-supply, cost and revenue.
1830	Bates report presented; 95 miles; 114 locks, lockage 1,009 ft.; estimated cost, $992,307.
1833	Chapter 32 – Canal to be built from Binghamton to Erie, for not over $1,000,000. John B. Jervis appointed chief engineer. Contracts let on northern portion.
1834	Chapter 46 – Northern terminus changed from Whitesboro to Utica. Construction commenced.
1835	Chapter 182 – $860,000 to be borrowed.
1836	Chapter 464 – Commissioners to borrow $260,000. October, – Canal completed.
1837	Chapter 27 – Commissioners to borrow $150,000. Navigation commenced.
1838	Chapter 13 – Commissioners to borrow $32,535.66. Chapter 54 – Commissioners to borrow $3,552.08. Chapter 89 – Commissioners to borrow $10,000. Chapter 143 – Commissioners to borrow $50,000.
1839	Chapter 262 – Tolls to be same as on Erie canal. Chapter 386 – Commissioners to borrow $20,000.
1840	Chapter 224 – Commissioners to borrow $20,000 for damages.
1842	Freshet causes $6,000 damage to canal.
1843	Kingsley brook reservoir destroyed by heavy rains and melting snows.
1846	Chapter 98 – Allows State Lunatic Asylum at Utica certain privileges of using surplus waters. Constitution. Art. VII, Sec. 6, – Canals never to be sold, leased or otherwise disposed of.
1849	Stone dam built on West branch feeder. New iron bridge built at Binghamton.
1850	Aqueduct at Greene rebuilt.
1852	Chapter 359 – Bridge to be built at Garden St.. Utica. Page’s brook aqueduct rebuilt.
1854	New aqueduct built at Crandalls.
1855	Contracts let to keep canal to repair for 5 years.
1857	Contract on one section annulled.
1859	Chapter 457 – Amending act permitting State Lunatic Asylum to take its water-supply from canal. Chapter 501 – Authorizes the laying of a horse-car railroad track on berme bank of canal. Contract let to keep section 3 in repair for 3 years.
1861	Contracts on sections 1 and 3 annulled and relet. Iron bridge built at Utica and one at Norwich.
1862	Chapter 115 – Amends chapter 359-1852, concerning Garden St. bridge at Utica. Lock No. 89 rebuilt of rubble masonry and oak fenders.
1863	116 locks on canal, over 100 of which are in bad condition.
1864	Locks Nos. 86, 87, 89, 104 and 109 rebuilt. Restoration of Kingsley brook reservoir begun.
1865	Chapter 669 – Bonus to insure speedy completion of certain locks. Lockages between sundown and sunrise prohibited on canal. March 16, 17 and 18, – Freshet seriously damages canal, also Oxford and Stratton feeder dams. Locks Nos. 100 and 103 rebuilt.
1866	Chapter 649 – Locks, when rebuilt, to be same size as North Branch, Pennsylvania canal, 91 x 16 ½ ft.
1867	Chapter 301 – Bridge to be built at College St., Clinton. Chapter 564 – Asylum to control levels from 5^th lock to 10^th lock. Chapter 606 – Bridge to be built at Water St., Clinton. Chapter 692 – Bridge to be built at Lebanon St., Hamilton. Locks Nos. 56, 60, 61, 77, 78 and 79 rebuilt. May 23, – Break near Norwich, navigation delayed eight days. Kingsley brook reservoir completed.
1868	Chapter 418 – Bridge to be built over canal at Eaton St., Hamilton. Chapter 421 – Swing-bridges to be built over canal at Henry and Hawley Sts., Binghamton. Chapter 425 – Bridge to be built over canal at Genesee St., Greene. Locks Nos. 52, 55, 65, 80 and 81 rebuilt.
1869	Chapter 40 – Turntable bridge to be built over canal at Norwich. Chapter 877 – Additional appropriation for turntable bridge at Norwich. July, – Capron aqueduct badly damaged by high water in Sauquoit creek.
1870	Chapter 153 – For the construction of an iron bridge at Court St., Binghamton. Chapter 767 – For completion of three locks being built and other improvements. Capron aqueduct rebuilt and an additional span added. Locks Nos. 18, 19 and 22 rebuilt.
1871	Chapter 778 – Appropriation for improving Madison brook reservoir. Chapter 930 – Appropriations for bridges at Norwich, Bouckville, Sherburne, Hamilton and Binghamton.
1872	Chapter 787 – Canal from Prospect Ave., to Susquehanna St., Binghamton, abandoned to city for street purposes. Chapter 850 – Appropriation for rebuilding locks Nos. 7 and 9. Locks Nos. 7, 17, 27, 47, 51, 101, 107, 108 and 110 rebuilt. Fifty locks require rebuilding.
1873	Chapter 711 – Binghamton authorized to declare part of canal a public street, under chapter 787-1872.
1874	Canal to be built in charge of one superintendent.
1875	Chapter 499 – Canal board to examine and report as to sale of canal.
1876	Chapter 382 – Commission appointed to report what disposition should be made of canal.
1877	Chapter 404 – Canal south of Hamilton, also the canal extension, to be abandoned on and after May 1, 1878, reservoirs and feeders north of Hamilton reserved. January 19, – Commission under chapter 382 1876 advise that canal portions useful as feeders and useful for Utica Asylum be retained, remainder sold.
1878	Chapter 391 – Canal within the limits of Binghamton ceded to the city for a public street. Chapter 344 – Canal commissioners to sell the canal.
1879	Chapter 522 – Superintendent of Public Works to sell canal after January 1, 1880.
1880	Chapter 190 – Amending chapter 391-1878, empowering Binghamton to summarily remove encroachments. Chapter 551 – State’s interests in canal lands and water-privileges south of Hamilton, released to adjoining owners; in Norwich, Oxford and Greene, to villages for public use.
1881	Chapter 157 – Sales of canal property to be advertised. Chapter 314 – Stone from locks given to the Historical Society for construction of a monument to General Herkimer and the heroes of Oriskany. Chapter 489 – Canal south of Hamilton released to adjoining land owners to center of canal, also canal extension.
1882	Chapter 49 – Material of structures on abandoned canal to be sold at auction.
1883	Chapter 450 – Canal in Utica may be leased to owners of adjoining land.
1884	Chapter 98 – Canal bank from lock 59 to lock 53 released to Utica, Clinton and Binghamton R. R. Co. Chapter 355 – Iron canal bridge at Utica to be removed to Rome and laid across Black River canal. Chapter 382 – Canal north of Hamilton to lock 79 released to village, including reservoir at Woodman’s pond. Chapter 482 – Bridges at Columbia and Fayette Sts., Utica, to be rebuilt.
1885	Chapter 80 – Bridges at Columbia and Fayette Sts., Utica, to be lowered or replaced by culverts. Work completed on Columbia and Fayette St. bridges.
1887	Chapter 456 – Utica to fill up abandoned canal south of Canal St., and to sell the lands for payment. Chapter 588 – Abandoned canal released to adjoining owners with some reservations.
1888	Chapter 23 – Amends chapter 588-1887. Chapter 375 – Embankments at Mad brook, Sherburne, to be replaced.
1889	Chapter 155 – Concerning the repairing of canal embankment at Sherburne.
1890	Chapter 253 – Appropriates partial reimbursement to the town of Madison by damages caused by abandonment of canal.
1892	Chapter 249 – Amending chapter 375-1888, provides for repairs of State embankment at Sherburne.
1894	Chapter 570 – For repairing certain structures and clearing summit level and feeders.

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