Canals

New Haven-Northampton Canal Timeline

1822 - Canal was chartered

1825 - First work of excavation was started

1826 - Stock of the New Hampshire-Hampden Canal Company united with the Farmington Canal Company

1827 - Funds for the project were exhausted

1828 - Connecticut Canal opened between New Haven and Westfield

1829 - Subscription of $100,000 had been paid off

1830 - Progess was made in direction of Northampton

1832 - New Haven City Bank bought $100,000 worth of stock

1835- Canal opened in Northampton

1836 - Work organization was completed with captial of $120,184. Two compainies lost $1,377,156

1836/40- There was $12,000 worth of freshet damage. The total revenue was $39,000 and the repairs in all costed $181,367

1843 - 1,436 boats passed through carrying 21,448 tons

1845 - The canal was inoperable for six weeks due to drought

*Drawing of a Steamboat in the 1800's

 The Barnet was the first up-river steamboat on the Connecticut River. This new transportation advancement gave promise to Northampton and Easthampton residents. The Northampton area could now be an inland seaport with the New Haven-Northampton Canal. People would now be able to travel more freely and quicker than ever before. The canal was much faster than horse and carriage. The Barnet was just the iceing on the cake. The New Haven-Northampton would have been a great route of travel if it wasn't doomed from the start. The poeple who invested in the Canal project didn't realize the problems the canals would face as a result of the winter months and the creatures that would be living in the Canal's waters. The Canal would not be able to work in the winter for the water would freeze and become ice. Ships would be damaged if they chose to travel along its icey waters. In the spring the beavers, freshets, and the muskrats undermined the canal causing major damages along the route at thousands of locations. This made it impossible to keep the canal running safe and profitable if repairs were needed so often.

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