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Upcoming 2016 Events
June 4
Best of Boonville
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We’re Now Open
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We
are open for the 2016 season!
Stop by for a visit.
We are open right now for WEEKENDS ONLY!
10AM to 4PM
We will be open 7 days a week starting June 25th!
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Membership Meeeting
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Our annual Membership Meeting will be held in
the Meeting Room at the Black River Canal Museum Conference Center
on Tuesday, August 2nd at 6:00pm
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The
Boonville Black River Canal Museum is located in Boonville, New York at the
Junction of Main Street and Route 12 on the Banks of the Original
Canal.
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 The 77-mile long Black
River Canal was
an engineering marvel of the 19th century. Built between 1837
and 1855, the Black River Canal
ran uphill, connecting the waters of the Erie Canal
with those of Black River. The southern
section of the overland canal linked Rome
and Boonville, a distance of 25 miles.
Following the rugged Lansing Kill Gorge, this section of the canal rose 693
feet and required 70 locks. The northern section of the overland
canal connected Boonville and Lyons
Falls, a distance of 10
miles. This section of the canal descended 386 feet and required 39
locks. All together, the Black River Canal had 109 locks--still a
world record. Between Lyons
Falls and Carthage,
a distance of 42 miles, the Black River itself was
canalized for slack-water navigation. By giving the North
Country access to eastern and midwestern markets, the Black
River Canal was
instrumental in the region's growth and prosperity.
(History
of the Black River Canal)
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For
more than a half a century, the Black River Canal
played a central role in the life of the North
Country. Appreciating the rich
historical legacy of the canal, a group of interested Boonville residents
secured a charter from the New York State Board of Regents to construct a
museum that will preserve, house, and display artifacts from the canal
era. The museum grounds are located near the Main
St. bridge in Boonville,
NY. Three buildings are planned for
the site: an exhibit hall, a small theater, and a gift shop. A
full-scale replica
of canal boat is located on the museum grounds, a recently restored
original warehouse that will house some exhibits, and soon to be constructed
building to hold artifacts, exhibits, and more.
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1874
Beers Map of Boonville Canal District.
(Click
on image for large view)
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The Boonville Black River
Canal Museum is located on a site formerly occupied by the Titus Powers
Iron Works, built circa 1850 near the Main Street Bridge. The site
later became the Holdridge and Gilbert Foundry
and Machine Shop. This foundry is shown on the 1874 Beers map.
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Foundry
Circa 1932
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