New York State Engineer and Surveyor Middle Division Letter Books

This series is arranged in rough chronological order.

The passage of Chapter 274 on May 11, 1835 authorized the canal commissioners to enlarge the Erie Canal. By 1836 the majority of proposed work was put under contract and contractors began the project of enlarging the canal. Throughout the 26-year project, several more acts would be passed in order to fund the enlargement of the canal. Chapter 169 of the Laws of 1862 declared that the enlargement project was complete.

This series is comprised of 13 volumes of letter books that contain carbon copies of correspondence written by resident and division engineers engaged in work on the Middle Division of the Erie Canal. The correspondence in these letter books is administrative in nature, addressing various aspects of work on the Middle Division, which included the counties of Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga. Much of the correspondence deals with the enlargement of the Erie Canal which began in 1836. Topics of the correspondence include land transactions; contracts and issues with contractors; construction of locks and other structures; estimates and accounts; issues with labor; and canal conditions. Some copies are severely faded, rendering them difficult to read and in certain cases illegible.

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