Incoming correspondence relating to canals

Rough chronological order.

Letters and petitions are generally addressed to the Canal Board or to the Canal Commissioners, but a few originally went to the Commissioners of the Canal Fund, the Chief Clerk of the Canal Department, or the State Engineer and Surveyor.

The letters mostly concern canal contracts, tolls, bonds, and other financial matters. There are also letters complaining about the condition of the canals or the performance of canal employees. Most of the petitions request that individuals be appointed to jobs in the canal system; they testify to the personal and political qualifications of the candidates and often contain numerous signatures. A few petitions ask for repairs or improvements to the canal system. It appears that these documents are fragments of one or more larger series which are now lost.

Series A1195, Calendar of Petitions contains related records. Series A1144, Incoming Correspondence, contains correspondence of the Office of the Auditor of the Canal Dept. relating to financial matters of canal administration (salaries, contracts, tolls, etc.).

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.