For over two hundred years, Seneca Falls has been a central hub for several major transportation arteries. Major highways, waterways and the railroad all played an important role in the development of Seneca Falls.
Beginning in 1794, the state of New York surveyed a route for the Great Western Road, a portion of which crossed the Seneca River and was the main street for Seneca Falls. Settlements and way stations sprang up along the highway’s route to provide services and goods to weary travelers. By 1800, the Seneca Road Company was formed to improve and maintain the road; in return the state began collecting tolls for passage on the road. Eventually known as the Seneca Turnpike, the highway became the primary east-west artery for crossing the state. By 1831, the Village of Seneca Falls was incorporated and had become a thriving industrial community.
As the need for faster and more economical ways to transport goods arose, farmers and businessmen looked to the Seneca River. However, the rapids on the river made water transportation difficult. To solve this problem, the Bayard Land Company (real estate owners) formed the Seneca Lock Navigation Co. in 1813. With contributions from the state of New York, a system of locks was completed in 1817 allowing boat traffic to bypass the rapids. In 1828, the state regained control of the waterway and proceeded to link it with the Erie Canal system at Montezuma Swamp. At this time, the locks were re-built, the canal widened and the first towpath constructed. The 1830s was a period of enormous growth for the Village, particularly along the south side of the river. Dozens of mills, boat-building industries and residents came to capitalize on the inexpensive transportation. The major commercial activities of this time were the processing of agricultural products such as flour, tanning, distilling, coopering and canal tending. All of these major economic activities depended on the Cayuga Seneca Canal.
In 1841, the first Auburn-Rochester train arrived in Seneca Falls. The railroad provided a faster and more efficient way to transport people, products and mail. In addition, the train facilitated the movement of ideas and provided national markets for locally produced products. At this time, the various mill owners shifted from a processing oriented economy to manufacturing. Seneca Falls quickly became a world leader in the production of pumps and fire engines. Locally produced products also included tools, socks and plows.
In 1915, substantial improvements by the state to what became known as the Barge Canal System to accommodate larger vessels resulted in major changes to the Cayuga-Seneca Canal and flooding of the Flats. The Flats had developed as the focus of Seneca Falls industry. A total of 116 commercial and industrial buildings and 60 residences were moved to other parts of the Village or demolished. In addition, the older, smaller locks were replaced with a larger two-lock combination that still exists today. Van Cleef Lake was created as a result of flooding the Flats serving as the primary reservoir for the locks.
Today the Cayuga-Seneca Canal stretches 12 miles joining the Erie Canal with Cayuga and Seneca Lakes within the Finger Lakes Region. The canal provides the perfect opportunity to visit regional state parks, wineries, and historical sites and museums within Seneca Falls. Recreational use of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal is of increasing importance to Seneca Falls. The Village continues to develop the waterfront through landscaping and improving tie-up facilities (the Village offers free water & electrical service to boaters). A boardwalk and night lighting provides summer-time boaters the opportunity to extend their stay in our historic village.
